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B    3    lET    7Tb 


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LIBRARY 
I'ERSITY 
.LIFORNIA 
IKELEY 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 


THE 

ARCHER  TAYLOR  COLLECTION 

OF  FOLK  SONGS  &  BALLADS 


THE 

HISTORY  OF  THE  CATNACH  PRESS. 

:)0(: 


LARGE    PAPER    COPY. 

Only  Two    Hundred    and    Fifty  Printed.     Each    Copy 
numbered  and  Signed 


ill?.    67 

Purchased  by 
of 


onthe_. day  of  _ t8. 


THE 


HISTORY 

OF   THE 

CATNACH    PRESS, 

AT 

BERWICK-UPON-TWEED, 

ALNWICK   AND    NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE, 

IN    NORTHUMBERLAND, 

AND 

SEVEN     DIALS,     LONDON. 

BY 

CHARLES    HINDLEY,  Esq., 

Editor  of**  The  Old  Book  Collector's  Miscellany;  or,  a  Collection  of  Readable  Reprints 

of  Literary  Rarities,'  "  Works  of  John  Taylor— the  Water  Poet"  "  The 

Roxhirghe  Ballads"  "  The  Catnach  Press"  "  The  Curiosities  of 

Street  Literature"  The  Book  of  Ready  Made  Speeches," 

"Life  and  Times  of  James  Catnach,  late  of  the 

Seven  Dials,  Ballad  Monger,"  "  Tavern 

Anecdotes  and  Sayings,"  "A  History 

of  the  Cries  of  Lofidon — Ancient 

and  Modem,"  etc. 


CHARLES     HINDLEY 

[The  Younger,] 

BOOKSELLERS'    ROW,     ST.    CLEMENT     DANES, 

STRAND,    W.C. 

1886. 


TO 

Mr.    GEORGE    SKELLY, 

OF 

THE  MARKET  PLACE, 

AND 

Mr.    GEORGE     H.     THOMPSON, 

OF 

BAILIFFGATE,    ALNWICK, 

In  the  County  of 
NORTHUMBERLAND, 

THE 

HISTORY    OF    THE    CATNACH    PRESS 

Is  MOST  Respectfully  Dedicated  by 
THE    AUTHOR 


St.  yanies^  Street^  Brighton, 
lady  Day,  1886. 


MUSIC  LIBRARY 

Universify  of  California 
Berkeley 


270 


THE  CATNACH    PRESS. 


"  'Tis  education  forms  the  common  mind  ; 

Just  as  the  twig  is  bent  the  tree's  inclined." — Poi>€. 


There  can  be  little  doubt  that  Jemmy  Catnach,  the 

printer,  justly  earned  the  distinction  of  being  one  of  the  great 
pioneers  in  the  cause  of  promoting  cheap  literature — he  was  for 
a  long  time  the  great  Maecenas  and  Elzevir  of  the  Seven  Dials 
district.  We  do  not  pretend  to  say  that  the  productions  which 
emanated  from  his  establishment  contained  much  that  was  likely 
to  enlighten  the  intellect,  or  sharpen  the  taste  of  the  ordinary 
reader  \  but,  to  a  great  extent,  they  served  well  in  creating  an 
impetus  in  the  minds  of  many  to  soar  after  things  of  a  higher 
and  more  ennobling  character.  Whilst  for  the  little  folk  his  store 
was  like  the  conjuror's  bag — inexhaustible.  He  could  cater  to 
the  taste  and  fancies  of  all,  and  it  is  marvellous,  even  in  these 
days  of  a  cheap  press,  to  look  back  upon  the  time  when  this 
enterprising  man  was  by  a  steady  course  of  action,  so  paving 
the  way  for  that  bright  day  in  the  annals  of  Britain's  history, 
when  every  child  in  the  land  should  be  educated. 


Musu 


HISTORICAL  INTRODUCTION 

OR 

A  PURSUIT  OF  KNOWLEDGE  UNDER  DIFFICULTIES. 


— : — Knowledge  is  of  two  kinds.  We  know  a  subject  ourselves, 
or  we  know  where  we  can  find  information  upon  it.— Boswell,  Lt/e  of 
Johnson, 


HAT  history  repeats  itself  is  fairly  and  fully  exemplified 
by  the  reproduction  of  *'  The  Catnach  Press,"  the 
first  edition  of  which  was  published  in  1869,  and 
"Guaranteed  Only  Two  Hundred  and  Fifty  Copies 
Printed." — Namely:  175  on  fine,  and  75  on  extra  thick  paper. 
Each  copy  numbered.  The  outer  and  descriptive  title  set  forth 
that  the  work  contained : — 

**  A  Collection  of  Books  and  Wood-cuts  of  James  Catnach,  late  ot 
Seven  Dials,  Printer,  consisting  of  Twenty  Books  of  the  Cock  Robin- 
Class,  from,  *This  is  the  House  that  Jack  Built,'  to  'Old  Mother 
Hubbard, '(printed  with  great  care)  specialite  at  The  Catnach  Press, 
from  the  old  plates  and  woodcuts,  prior  to  their  final  destruction,  to 
which  is  added  a  selection  of  Catnachian  wood-cuts,  many  by  Bewick, 
and  many  of  the  most  anti-Bewickian  character  it  is  possible  to 
conceive." 

The  announcement  of  the  pubUcation  of  the  work  was  first 
made  known  through  the  medium  of  the  metropolitan  press, 
some  few  days  prior  to  the  copies  being  delivered  by  the  book- 


VUl. 

binders,  and  so  great  was  the  demand  of  the  London  and 
American  trade,  that  every  copy  was  disposed  of  on  the  day  of 
issue. 

The  work  is  now  eagerly  sought  after  by  book  collectors  who 
indulge  in  literary  rarities. 

While  engaged  in  collecting  information  for  "The  Catnach 
Press,"  and  interviewing  the  producers  of  ballads,  broadsides 
and  chap-books,  we  met  with  a  vast  assemblage  of  street-papers 
and  of  a  very  varied  character,  which  we  proposed  to  publish  in 
quarto  form  under  the  title  of  "The  Curiosities  of  Street  Literat- 
ure," and  when  in  London  in  1869,  still  seeking  for  information 
on  the  subject,  met  by  mere  chance  in  the  Strand  with  the  street 
ballad  singer  of  our  youth,  one  Samuel  Milnes,  who  used  between 
the  years  of  1835  and  1842  to  visit  Fetter  Lane  every  Thursday 
with  the  newest  and  most  popular  ballad  of  the  day.  We  so 
often  met  with  him  at  other  times  and  places  in  and  about 
London  in  after  years  that  a  peculiar  kind  of  a  friendly  feeling 
grew  up  towards  him  in  preference  to  all  other  street  ballad 
singers  of  the  time,  so  much  so  that  at  our  meetings — and 
friendly  greetings,  we  invariably  purchased  the  ballad  he  was 
singing,  or,  gave  him  a  few  halfpence  as  a  fee  for  having  detained 
him  from  his  calling — or  shall  we  say  bawling,  for  to  tell  the 
truth,  Samuel  Milnes  was  but  a  very  indifferent  vocalist. 

Time  rolled  on— "still  on  it  creeps,  each  little  moment  at 
another's  heels" — and  we  continued  to  meet  our  old  ballad 
singer  either  in  London  or  Brighton.  The  meeting  with  him  on 
this  particular  occasion  was  most  opportune  for  we  wanted  him. 
First  we  obtained  from  him  "  Wait  for  the  Turn  of  the  Tide,"  and 
"  Call  her  back  and  kiss  her,"  then  the  following  information  : — 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  remember  you,  remember  you  well ;  particularly  when  I  see 
you  down  at  Brighton :  when  you  treated  me  to  that  hot  rum  and  water ; 


IX. 

when  I  was  so  wet  and  cold,  at  a  little  snug  public-house  in  one  of  the 
streets  that  leads  off  the  main  street.  I  don't  remember  the  name  on  it 
now,  but  I  remembers  the  rum  and  water  well  enough  ;  it  was  good.  You 
said  it  would  be,  and  so  it  was,  and  no  mistake.  How  old  am  I  now  ? 
Why,  59.  How  long  have  I  been  at  it  ?  Why,  hard  on  fifty  years.  I  was 
about  nine  or  ten  year  old — no,  perhaps  I  might  have  been  12  year  old, 
when  I  come  to  think  on  it.  Yes,  about  12  year  old ;  my  mother  was  a 
widow  with  five  children,  and  there  was  a  boy  in  our  street  as  used  to  go 
out  singing  ballads,  and  his  mother  said  to  my  mother,  *  Why  don't  you  let 
your  boy  (that's  me)  go  out  and  sing  ballads  like  my  boy.'  And  I  said  I 
didn't  mind,  and  I  did  go  out,  and  I've  been  at  it  ever  since,  so  you  see 
'aint  far  short  of  50  year.  How  many  do  I  sell  in  a  day  ?  Well,  not  so 
many  as  I  used  to  do,  by  a  long  way.  I've  sold  me  four  and  five  quires  a- 
day,  but  I  don't  sell  above  two  and  three  dozen  a-day  now.  That's  all  the 
difference  you  see,  sir — dozens  against  quires.  How  do  I  live  then  ?  Why, 
you  see  I  am  so  well-known  in  different  parts  of  London,  that  lots  and  lots 
of  people  comes  up  to  me  Uke  you  always  do— and  say's — *  How  do  you 
do,  old  fellow  ?  I  remember  you  when  I  was  a  boy,  if  it's  a  man,  and 
when  I  was  a  girl,  if  it's  a  woman.'  And  says,  *  So  you  are  still  selling  songs, 
eh .'"  Then  they  give  me  a  few  coppers ;  some  more  and  some  less  than 
others,  and  says  they  don't  want  the  songs.  Some  daj's— very  often— I've 
had  more  money  given  me  than  I've  took  for  the  ballads.  Yes,  I  have 
travelled  all  over  England— all  over  it  I  think— but  the  North's  the  best- 
Manchester,  Liverpool,  and  them  towns ;  but  dovnx  Bath  and  Cheltenham  way 
I  was  nearly  starved.  I  was  corviing  back  from  that  way,  I  now  remember, 
when  I  met  you,  sir,  at  Brighton  that  time.  I  buy  my  ballads  at  various 
places — but  now  mostly  over  the  water,  because  I  live  there  now  and  it's 
handiest.  Mr.  Such,  the  printer,  in  Union-street  in  the  Borough.  Oh ! 
yes,  some  at  Catnach's — leastways,  it  ain't  Catnach's  now,  it's  Fortey's. 
Yes,  I  remember  '  old  Jemmy  Catnach '  very  well ;  he  wa'n't  a  bad  sort,  as 
you  say ;  leastways,  I've  heard  so,  but  I  never  had  anything  of  him.  I 
always  paid  for  what  I  had,  and  did  not  say  much  to  him,  or  he  to  me— 
Writing  the  life  of  him,  are  you  indeed  ?  No,  I  can't  give  you  no  more 
information  about  him  than  that,  because,  as  I  said  before,  I  bought  my 
goods  as  I  wanted  them,  and  paid  for  them,  then  away  on  my  own  account 
and  business.  Well  he  was  a  man  something  like  you— a  little  wider  across 
the  shoulders,  perhaps,  but  about  such  a  man  as  you  are.  I  did  know  a  man 
as  could  have  told  you  a  lot  about  '* old  Jemmy,"  but  he's  dead  now;  he 
was  one  of  his  authors,  that  is,  he  wrote  some  of  the  street-ballads  for  him, 

2 


and  very  good  ones  they  used  to  be,  that  is,  for  selling.  Want  some  old 
*  Dying  Speeches'  and  *  Cocks,'  do  you  indeed ;  well,  I  a'nt  got  any— I  don't 
often  *  work '  them  things,  although  I  have  done  so  sometimes,  but  I  mostly 
keep  to  the  old  game—'  Ballads  on  a  Subject.'  You  see  them  other  things 
are  no  use  only  just  for  the  day,  then  they  are  no  use  at  all,  so  we  don't  keep 
them — I've  often  given  them  away.  You'd  give  sixpence  a  piece  for  them, 
would  you,  indeed,  sir;  then  I  wish  I  had  some  of  them.  Now  I  come  to 
think  of  it  I  know  a  man  that  did  have  a  lot  of  them  bye  him,  and  I  know 
he'd  be  glad  to  sell  them,  I  don't  know  where  he  lives,  but  I  sometimes 
see  him.  Oh !  yes,  a  letter  would  find  me.  My  name  is  Samuel  Milnes, 
and  I  live  at  No.  8i,  Mint-street,  that's  in  the  Borough ;  you  know,  Guagaris 
the  name  at  the  house.    Thank  you,  sir,  I'm  much  obliged.    Good  day  sir." 

Our  next  adventure — in  pursuit  of  knowledge  under  diffi- 
culties— occured  at  Brighton  in  the  month  of  August,  1869,  ^^^ 
when  we  were  winding  our  way  through  a  maze  of  small  streets 
lying  between  Richmond  and  Albion  Hills,  in  the  Northern  part 
of  the  town,  our  ears  voluntarily  "  pricked  up,"  on  hearing  the 
old  familiar  sounds  of  a  *  street,  or  running  patterer '  with  the 
stereotyped  sentences  of  "  Horrible." — "  Dreadful." — *'  Remark- 
able letters  found  on  his  person." — "  Cut  down  by  a  labouring 
man." — Quite  dead." — "  Well-known  in  the  town." — "  Hanging." 
— -"  Coroner's  Inquest."—'*  Verdict."—"  Full  particulars."— 
"  Most  determined  suicide." — **  Brutal  conduct." — &c.,  &c., 
Only  a  hd penny  I — Only  a  ha! penny  !  Presently  we  saw  the 
man  turn  into  a  wide  court-like  place,  which  was  designated  by 
the  high-sounded  name  of  "  Square,"  and  dedicted  to  Rich- 
mond ;  hither  we  followed  him,  and  heard  him  repeat  the  same 
detached  sentences,  and  became  a  purchaser  for — *  only  a  ha!- 
penny  P  when  to  our  astonishment  we  discovered  a  somewhat 
new  phrase  in  cock  or  catchpenny  selHng.  Inasmuch  as  our 
purchase  consisted  of  the  current  number  (253)  of  the  Brighton 
Daily  News — a  very  respectable  looking  and  well  printed  Half- 
penny Local  Newspaper,  and  of  that  day's  publication,  and  di(;i 


XI. 

in  reality  contain  an  account  of  a  most  determined  suicide  of  an 
old  and  highly  respected  inhabitant  of  Brighton  and  set  forth 
under  the  heading  of : — 

The  Determined  Suicide  of  an  Aged  Artist. 
Remarkable  Letters  of  Deceased. 

Calling  the  man  aside,  we  ventured  upon  a  conversation  with 

him  in  the  following  form  : — 

**  Well,  governor,  how  does  the  cock  fight  ?  "    "  Oh,  pretty  well, 

sir ;  but  it  ain't  a  cock ;  its  a  genuine  thing— the  days  for  cocks,  sir,  is  gone 
bye — cheap  newspapers  'as  done  'em  up."  *'  Yes ;  we  see  this  is  a  Brighton 
Newspaper  of  to-day."  '*0h,  yes,  that's  right  enough—but  its  all  true." 
"Yes;  we  are  aware  of  that  and  knew  the  unfortunate  man  and  his 
family;  but  you  are  vending  them  after  the  old  manner."  That's  all  right 
enough,  sir,— you  see  I  can  sell  'em  better  in  that  form  than  as  a  newspaper 
— its  more  natural  like  for  me :  I've  sold  between  ten  and  twelve  dozen  of 
'em  to-day."  "  Yes  ;  but  how  about  to-morrow  ?."  "  Oh,  then  it  will  be 
all  bottled  up— and  I  must  look  for  a  new  game,  I'm  on  my  way  to  London, 
but  a  hearing  of  this  suicide  job,  I  thought  I'd  work  'em  just  to  keep  my 
hand  in  and  make  a  bob  or  two."  To  our  question  of  "  Have  you  got  any 
real  old  'cocks'  by  you?"  He  replied,  "No,  not  a  bit  of  a  one;  I've 
worked  'em  for  a  good  many  years,  but  it  'aint  much  of  a  go  now.  Oh,  yes, 
I  know'd  '  old  Jemmy  Catnach '  fast  enough — bought  many  hundreds,  if 
not  thousands  of  quires  of  him.  Not  old  enough?  Oh,  'aint  I  though; 
why  I'm  turned  fifty,  and  I've  been  a  'street-paper '^seller  all  my  life.  I 
knows  Muster  Fortey  very  well ;  him  as  is  got  the  business  now  in  the 
Dials— he  knows  his  way  about,  let  him  alone  for  that ;  and  he's  a  rare  good 
business  man  let  me  tell  you,  and  always  been  good  and  fair  to  me ;  that  I 
will  say  of  him." 

Having  rewarded  the  man  with  a  few  half-pence  to  make  him 
some  recompense  for  having  detained  him  during  his  business 
progress,  we  parted  company. 

While  still  prosecuting  our  enquiries  for  information  on  the 
literature  of  the  streets,  we  often  read  of,  and  heard  mention 
made  of,  a  Mr.  John  Morgan,  as  one  of  the  "  Seven  Bards  of  the 


xu. 

Seven  Dials  "  and  his  being  best  able  to  assist  us  in  the  matter 
we  had  in  hand.  The  first  glimpse  we  obtained  of  the  Poet ! 
in  print  was  in  an  article  entitled  "The  Bards  of  the  Seven 
Dials  and  their  Effusion  "  and  published  in  "  The  Town,"  of 
1839,  a  weekly  journal,  conducted  by  the  late  Mr.  Renton 
Nicholson,  better  known  as  "  Baron  Nicholson,"  of  Judge  and 
Jury  notoriety  : — 

REVIEW. 

The  Life  and  Death  of  John  William  Marchant,  who  suffered  the 
extreme  penalty  of  the  law,  in  front  of  the  Debtor's  door,  Newgate, 
on  Monday,  July  8th,  1839,  for  the  murder  of  Elizabeth  Paynton,  his 
fellow  servant,  on  the  seventeenth  of  May  last,  in  Cadogan  Place, 
Chelsea.  By  John  Morgan.  London:  J.  Catnach,  2  and  3,  Mon- 
mouth Court,  7  Dials. 

The  work  is  a  quarto  page,  surrounded  with  a  handsome  black  border. 
"  Take  no  thought  for  to-morrow,  what  thou  shalt  eat,  or  what  thou  shalt 
put  on,"  says  a  certain  writer,  whose  wisdom  we  all  reverence,  and  then  he 
adds  "  SufTicient  unto  the  day  is  the  evil  thereof  "—a  remark  particularly 
applicable  to  the  bards  of  Seven  Dials,  whose  pens  are  kept  in  constant 
employment  by  the  fires,  rapes,  robberies,  and  murders,  which,  from  one 
year's  end  to  the  other,  present  them  with  a ,  daily  allowance  of  evil 
sufficient  for  their  subsistence.  But,  at  present,  it  is  only  one  of  these  poets, 
"John  Morgan,"  as  he  modestly  signs  himself,  whom  we  are  about  to 
notice ;  and  as  some  of  our  readers  may  be  curious  to  see  a  specimen  of  the 
poetry  of  Seven  Dials,  we  shall  lay  certain  portions  of  John  Morgan's  last 
effusion  before  them,  pointing  out  the  beauties  and  peculiarities  of  the 
compositions  as  we  go  along.  After  almost  lawyer-like  particularity  as  to 
dates  and  places,  the  poem  begins  with  an  invocation  from  the  murderer  in 
propria  persona. 

"  Oh  !  give  attention  awhile  to  me, 

All  you  good  people  of  each  degree ; 

In  Newgate's  dismal  and  dreary  cell, 

I  bid  all  people  on  earth  farewell." 

Heaven  forbid,  say  we,  that  all  the  people  on  earth  should  ever  get  in 
Newgate,  to  receive  the  farewell  of  such  a  blood-thirsty  miscreant. 


XIU. 

"John  William  Marchant  is  my  name, 
I  do  confess  I  have  been  to  blame. ^^ 
And  here  we  must  observe  that  the  poet  makes  his  hero  speak  of  his 
offence  rather  too  lightly,  as  if,  indeed,  it  had  been  nothing  more  than  a 
common  misdemeanour. 

"  I  little  thought,  my  dear  parents  kind, 
I  should  leave  this  earth  with  a  troubled  mind." 
Now  this  is  modest ;  he  is  actually  surprised  that  his  parents  are  at  all 
grieved  at  the  idea  of  getting  rid  of  such  a  scoundrel,  and  well  he  might  be. 
"  I  lived  as  servant  in  Cadogan  Place, 
And  never  thought  this  would  be  my  case, 
To  end  my  days  on  the  fatal  tree  : 
Good  people,  pray  drop  a  tear  for  me." 
There  is  a  playfulness  about  the  word  "  drop,"  introducing  just  hereafter 
*•  the  fatal  tree,"  which,  in  our  mind,  somewhat  diminishes  the  plaintiveness 
of  the  entreaty ;  but  we  must  not  be  hypocritical. 


Then  comes  his  trial  and  condemnation,  the  account  ot  which  is  most 
remarkable  precise  and  pithy. 

"  At  the  Old  Bailey  I  was  tried  an(]  cast. 
And  the  dreadful  sentence  on  me  was  past 
On  a  Monday  morning,  alas !  to  die. 
And  on  the  eight  of  this  month  of  July." 
A  marvellous  particularity  as  to  dates,-  intended,  doubtless,  to  show  the 
convicts  anxiety  that,  although  he  died  young,  his  name  should  live  long  in 
the  minds  of  posterity.    Then  follows  his  farewell  to  father  and  mother, 
and  an  impudent  expression  of  confidence  that  his  crime  will  be  forgiven  in 
heaven,  an  idea,  by-the-by,  which  is  reported  to  have  been  confirmed  by 
the  Ordinary  of  Newgate,  who  told  him  that  the  angels  would  receive  him 
with  great  affection ;  and  this  it  was,  perhaps,  which  induced  our  bard  ot 
Seven  Dials  to  represent  his  hero  as  coolly  writing  poetry  up  to  the  very  last 
moment  of  his  existence ;  taking  his  farewell  of  the  public  in  these  words  :— 
"Adieu,  good  people  of  each  degree. 
And  take  a  warning,  I  pray,  by  me ; 
The  bell  is  tolling,  and  I  must  go, 
And  leave  this  world  of  misery  and  woe." 


XIV. 

But  we  cannot  exactly  see  what  business  the  fellow— "a  pampered 
menial,"  had  to  speak  ill  of  the  world,  when  he  was  very  comfortably  off  in 
it,  and  might  have  lived  long  and  happily  if  it  had  not  been  for  his  own 
wickedness ;  a  hint  which  we  throw  out  for  the  benefit  of  Mr.  John  Morgan, 
in  hisTuture  effusions,  trusting  he  will  not  make  his  heroes  die  grumby,  when 
poetic  justices  does  not  require  it. 

But  we  must  now  take  our  leave,  with  a  hearty  wish  to  the  whole 
fraternity  of  Seven  Dials'  bards,  that  they  may  never  go  without  a  dinner 
for  want  of  the  means  of  earning  it,  or  that,  in  other  words,  though  they 
seem  somewhat  contradictory,  "Sufficient  unto  the  day  may  be  the  evil 
thereof." 

Again,  the  writer  of  an  article  on  "  Street  Ballads,"  in  the 
"National  Review,"  for  October,  1861,  makes  the  following 
remarks  : — 

'*  This  Ballad—*  Little  Lord  John  out  of  Service  '—is  one  of  the  few  which 
bear  a  signature— it  is  signed  *  John  Morgan '  in  the  copy  which  we  possess. 
For  a  long  time  we  believed  this  name  to  he  a.  mere  nom-de-phime  ;  but  the 
other  day  in  Monmouth  Couit,  we  were  informed,  in  answer  to  a  casual 
question  that  this  is  the  real  name  of  the  author  of  some  of  the  best  comic 
ballads.  Our  informant  added  that  he  is  an  elderly,  we  may  say  old,  gentle- 
man, living  somewhere  in  Westminster;  but  the  exact  whereabouts  we 
could  not  discover.  Mr.  Morgan  followed  no  particular  visible  calling,  so 
far  as  our  informant  knew,  except  writing  ballads,  by  which  he  could  not 
earn  much  of  a  livehhood,  as  the  price  of  an  original  ballad,  in  these  buying- 
cheap  days,  has  been  screwed  down  by  the  publishers  to  somewhere  about 
a  shilling  sterling.  Something  more  like  bread-and-butter  might  be  made, 
perhaps,  by  poets  who  were  in  the  habit  of  singing  their  own  ballads,  as 
some  of  them  do,  but  not  Mr.  Morgan.  Should  this  ever  meet  the  eye  of 
that  gentleman  (a  not  very  probable  event,  we  fear),  we  beg  to  apologise 
for  the  liberty  we  have  taken  in  using  his  verses  and  name,  and  hope  he  will 
excuse  us,  having  regard  to  the  subject  in  which  we  are  humble  fellow- 
labourers.  We  could  scarcely  avoid  naming  him,  the  fact  being  that  he  is 
the  only  living  author  of  street-ballads  whose  name  we  know.  That  self- 
denying  mind,  indiflerent  to  worldly  fame,  which  characterised  the  architects 
of  our  cathedrals  and  abbeys,  would  seem  to  have  descended  on  our  ballad- 
writers;  and  we  must  be  thankful,  therefore,  to  be  able  to  embalm  and 
hand  down  to  posterity  a  name  here  and  there,  such  as  William  of  Wyjce- 


XV. 

ham,  and  John  Morgan.  In  answer  to  our  inquiries  in-tkis  matter, 
generally,  we  have  been  told,  '  Oh,  anybody  writes  them,'  and  with  that 
answer  we  have  had  to  rest  satisfied.  But  in  presence  of  that  answer,  we 
walk  about  the  streets  with  a  new  sense  of  wonder,  peering  into  the  faces 
of  those  of  our  fellow-lieges  who  do  not  carry  about  with  them  the  external 
evidence  of  overflowing  exchequers,  and  saying  to  ourselves  That  man 
may  be  a  writer  of  ballads.'  " 

At  every  enquiry  we  made  for  information  in  regard  to  street- 
literature,  we  still  continued  to  be  referred  to  Mr.  John  Morgan 
as  the  most  likely  person  living  to  supply  what  we  needed  on 
the  subject. 

But  the  grave  question  arose  in  our  own  minds  of  the  How, 
When,  and  Where :  could  we  find  out  and  interview  this  said 
Mr.  John  Morgan,  Poet !  First  we  made  enquiry  at  the  office 
of  Mr.  Taylor,  Printer  of  Ballads,  &c.,  92  and  93,  Brick  Lane, 
Spitalfields,  but,  they  "  had  not  the  least  idea  where  we  could 
find  him.  In  fact  they  had  only  heard  of  him  as  a  ballad- 
writer,  and  knew  nothing  about  where  he  lived,  never  having 
employed  him :  had  perhaps  printed  some  of  his  ballads. 
Thought  Mr.  Such,  of  the  Borough,  might  give  some  infor- 
mation, but,  sure  to  find  out  all  about  him  in  the  Seven  Dials 
district." 

Mr.  H.  Such,  Machine  Printer  and  Publisher,  177,  Union 
Street,  Borough,  S.E.,  on  being  applied  to  could  give  us  no 
positive  information  as  to  the  whereabout  of  Mr.  John  Morgan 
— he  knew  him,  but  where  he  lived  he  could  not  tell.  Mr. 
Fortey  or  Mr.  Disley,  in  the  Dials-way,  would  be  most  likely  to 
know. 

Mr.  William  S.  Fortey,  (late  A.  Ryle,  successor  to  the  late 
J.  Catnach),  Printer,  Publisher,  and  Wholesale  Stationer,  2  and 
3,  Monmouth  Court,  Seven  Dials,  London,  W.,  on  being  applied 
to  could  not  exactly  tell  where  Mr.  John  Morgan  did  live,  it  was 


XVI. 

somewhere  Westminster- way :  it  was  very  uncertain  when  he 
should  next  see  him,  because  he  did  not  sometimes  call  in  for 
weeks  together,  yet  he  might  by  chance  see  him  to-morrow,  or 
the  next  day.  Anyway,  we  felt  that  we  had  no  right  to  press  the 
question  any  further,  more  particularly  so  because  Mr.  Fortey 
had  been  very  civil  and  obliging  to  us  on  other  occasions — 
in  fact  we  have  been  under  great  and  lasting  obligations  to  him, 
so  changed  the  conversation. 

Mr.  Henry  Disley,  Printer,  57,  High  Street,  St.  Giles',  London, 
who  we  found  to  be  a  very  genial  sort  of  a  man,  and  that  he 
had  formerly  been  in  the  service  ot  James  Catnach;  he  was 
working  in  his  front  shop  at  a  small  hand-press  on  some  cards 
relative  to  a  forthcoming  Friendly  Lead,"*  to  be  held  at  a 
public-house  in  the  immediate  neighbourhood,  while  Mrs.  Disley 
was  hard  at  work  colouring  some  Christmas  Carols,  and  which 
she  did  with  a  rapidity  that  was  somewhat  astonishing.  In 
answer  to  our  inquiry  whether  he  knew  of  one  John  Morgan — 
who  was — as  we  described  him,  "  something  of  a  song  writer." 
Well !  both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Disley  together — ''  did  know  him — 
should  think  they  did."  But  when  we  came  to  enquire  about 
his  private  address  they  knew  nothing  about  that.  He  (Mr. 
Morgan)  wrote  ballads  for  them  at  times  :  often  called  on  them 
—whenever  he  did  it  was  always  to  sell  a  good  ballad  he  had  on 
hand,  or  to  tell  them  what  bad  times  it  was  with  him  :  but  as  to 
where  he  lived,  beyond  that  it  was  somewhere  Westminster-way, 
they  did  not  know— in  fact,  had  not  the  least  idea.  But,  most 
likely,  Mr.  Fortey,  him  in  Monmouth  Court,  did.  Yes  !  come 
to  think  of  it,  he  would  be  sure  to  know. 

*^  Friendly  Lead,  a  gathering  at  a  low  public-house,  for  the  purpose  af  assisting  some 
one  who  is  "in  trouble,"  /.t'.,  in  prison,  or  who  has  just  "come  out  of  trouble,"  or  who 
is  in  want  of  a  "  mouthpiece  "  to  defend  him,  and  so  forth. 


XVll. 

The  very  unsatisfactory  and  evasive  answers  received  in 
reference  to  the  address  of  Mr.  John  Morgan  gave  a  zest  to 
our  zeal  in  the  matter — so  much  so,  that  we  then  determined 
**  to  work  the  oracle  "  out  in  our  way. 

At  this  time  we  had  a  near  relative  occupying  chambers  in 
Barnard's  Inn,  which  we  held  to  be  a  good  central  and  lawyer- 
like address — one  that  had  the  "true  ring,"  of  business  and 
substantiality  about  it.  Yes  !  Barnard's  Inn,  Holborn,  London, 
E.G.,  looked  to  our  mind  to  be  likely  to  serve  our  stratigical 
purpose  to  the  point  we  desired.  Having  made  all  the  pre- 
paratory arrangements,  we  then  procured  from  a  neighbouring 
stationer's  shop  a  sheet  of  mourning  note-paper  and  an  envelope 
of  large  proportions,  each  having  the  very  blackest  and  broadest 
of  black  borders  we  could  find  in  stock.  Then  we  wrote  in  a 
law-like  hand : — 

JVb.  6,  Barnard's  Inn, 

Holborn,  London,  E.G., 
February  26,  1870. 

THIS  IS  TO  GIVE  J^OTIGE:-lf  Mr.  John 
Morgan,  ballad -writer,  ^c,  will  call  at  the  above 
address  on  or  after  Wednesday  next.  He  will  hear 
something  greatly  to  his  advantage. 

(Signed) 

Mr.  John  Morgan, 

care  of. 

London. 

The  above  document  having  been  duly  intrusted  to  Her 
Majesty's  Post  Master  General  for  delivery,  we  had  to  abide 

3 


XVIU. 

our  time  for  the  result.  We  had  not  to  wait  long,  for  although 
we  had  appointed  the  next  following  Wednesday  to  communicate 
"  something  greatly  to  the  advantage  of  Mr.  John  Morgan^^  he 
turned  up  a  little  sooner  than  we  expected,  or  desired,  by- 
reason  of  his  putting  in  an  appearanc^  at  Barnard's  Inn  on 
Tuesday  evening,  where  he  arrived  "  happy  and  glorious,"  and 
made  earnest  enquiries  for  "  the  gentleman  who  had  sent  him 
a  letter  to  say  he  had  got  a  something  to  his  advantage — perhaps 
a  fortune  !  For  sometimes  he  thought  somebody  would  die  and 
leave  him  one.  Where  was  the  gentleman  who  wrote  him  the' 
letter  ?  He  says  that  I  am  to  call  here.  He  sent  it  in  a  black- 
bordered  envelope  for  him.  Where  is  the  gentleman  ?  See  here 
is  the  letter,  and  all  in  black — black  as  your  hat — look  for 
yourself,  sir." 

All  the  above  was  spoken  to  a  friend  of  ours  who  lived  on 
the  ground-floor  at  the  particular  house  in  Barnard's  Inn,  where 
Mr.  John  Morgan  had  been  requested  to  call  on  Wednesday. 
It  was  then  only  Tuesday,  and  that  fact  had  to  be  explained ; 
also,  that  the  gentleman  in  question  was  not  at  present  in  his 
chambers  on  the  third-floor,  but  would  be  in  the  morning  up  to 
lo  o'clock.  Our  friend  on  the  first-floor — who  had  received 
instructions  from  us  in  the  event  of  Mr.  John  Morgan  turning- 
up  while  we  were  not  at  home — informed  us  of  all  that  had 
taken  place  when  we  arrived  a  little  later  on  in  the  evening. 

On  the  next  morning  preparations  were  made  for  the  reception 
of  our  expectant  friend — a  good  fire,  a  good  breakfast,  and  a 
half-pint  of  "  Old  Tom  "  from  Carres  well-known  Establishment, 
St.  Clement  Danes,  Strand. 

Very  soon  after  the  old  clock  of  the  ancient  hall  of  Barnard's 
Inn,  and  all  the  public  clocks  in  the  surrounding  neighbourhood 
had  proclaimed  aloud  that  the  hour  of  lo  a.m.  of  that  Wednesday 


XIX. 

morning  had  arrived,  there  was  heard  a  knock  at  the  outer 
door  of  our  chamber-rooms,  and  on  the  same  being  opened, 
Mr.  John  Morgan  announced  himself  as  the  party  to  whom  the 
gentleman  had  sent  a  black-bordered  letter  and  envelope  for  him 
to  say  there  was  a  something  to  his  advantage  to  be  had.  Then 
Mr.  John  Morgan,  full  of  bows  and  scrapes,  was  ushered  into  our 
presence. — He  was  the  party  who  had  received  the  letter.  Oh  ! 
yes,  Mr.  Morgan  we  added  :  take  a  seat  sir.  Yes,  sir,  and  thank 
you  to,  he  replied,  at  the  same  time  sitting  down  and  then  very 
carefully  despositing  his  somewhat  delapidated  hat  under — far 
under— the  chair.  We  then  enquired  whether  he  would  have 
anything  to  eat,  or  have  a  cup  of  coffee.  No  !  it  was  a  little  too 
early  in  the  morning  for  eating,  and  coffee  did  not  always  agree 
with  him.  Or,  a  drop  of  good  *'  Old  Tom,"  we  somewhat 
significantly  suggested.  Mr.  John  Morgan  would  very  much 
like  to  have  a  little  drop  of  gin,  for  it  was  a  nasty  raw  cold  morn- 
ing :  In  answer  to  our  enquiry  whether  he  would  prefer  hot  or 
cold  water,  elected  to  have  it  neat  if  it  made  no  difference  to  us. 
Mr.  John  Morgan  at  our  suggestion  having  *'  wet  the  other 
eye,"  i.e.j  taken  the  second  glass,  the  real  business  part  of  the 
question  we  had  met  upon  commenced  thus : — "  We  have  been 
informed  that  you  were  acquainted  with,  and  used  to  write  for 
the  late  James  Catnach,  who  formerly  lived  in  the  Seven  Dials, 
and  that  you  can  give  us  much  of  the  information  that  we 
require  towards  perfecting  a  work  we  have  in  hand  treating  on 
Street  Literature.  If  you  are  willing  to  do  so,  we  are  prepared 
to  treat  with  you  in  a  liberal  manner,  and  that,  please  to  at  once 
to  understand  is  the  *  Something  greatly  to  your  advantage  that  is 
mentioned  in  the  note  we  addressed  to  you.'  "  Here  Mr.  John 
Morgan  hinted  that  he  thought  it  was — or  he  had  hoped  it  was,  a 
little  fortune  some  one  had  been  kind  enough  to  leave  him,  he 


XX. 

always  expected  that  old  Jemmy  Catnach  would — after  what  he 
had  done  for  him,  have  left  him  a  bit,  however  small,  but  no 
such  luck. 

Mr.  Morgan  expressed  his  willingness  to  give  all  the  informa- 
tion he  could  on  the  subject  and  leave  it  to  our  generosity  to 
pay  him  what  we  pleased,  and  adding  that  he  had  no  doubt  that 
we  should  not  fall  out  on  that  score.  And  so  we  proceeded,  we 
talked  and  took  notes.  Mr.  Morgan  talked  and  took  gin.  Mr. 
Morgan  got  warm — warmer  and  warmer-^and  very  entertaining, 
his  conversational  powers  increased  wonderfully,  he  became  very 
witty  and  laughed  ha !  hah  ! !  he  joked  and  made  merry  at  some 
old  reminiscences  in  connection  with  old  Jemmy  Catnach — and 
admitted,  that  after  all  old  Jemmy  wasn't  a  particular  bad  sort — 
that  is,  when  you  knew  him,  and  could  handle  him  properly — 
then  old  Jemmy  was  as  right  as  my  leg !  Still  we  continued  to 
talk  and  take  notes,  still  Mr.  Morgan  talked  and  took  gin,  until 
he  emulated  the  little  old  woman  who  sold  **  Hot  Codlings,"  for 
of  her  it  is  related  that — "  the  glass  she  filled  and  the  bottle  she 
shrunk  and  that  this  little  old  woman  in  the  end  got ." 

At  length  it  became  very  manifest  that  we  should  not  be  able 
to  get  any  more  information  out  of  Mr.  John  Morgan  on  that 
day,  so  proposed  for  him  to  call  again  on  the  morrow  morning 
and  at  the  same  time  and  place  to  pursue  the  thread  of  our  nar- 
rative. Then  having  presented  him  with  a  portrait  of  Her  most 
gracious  Majesty  Queen  Victoria,  set  in  gold,  we  volunteered  to 
see  him  down  stairs  which  we  observed  were  very  crooked — Mr. 
Morgan  thought  they  were  very  old  and  funny  ones  :  up  and 
down  like — in  fact  what  old  Charley  Dibdin  would  have  called 
regular  *'  whopping  old  stairs  ! "  Being  safely  landed  from  the 
last  stone  step  on  to  the  stone-paved  way,  we  thought  it  advis- 
able,  for  appearance  sake,  to  conduct  our  friend  out  of  Barnard's 


XXI. 

Inn  by  a  sideway  leading  into  Fetter-lane.  After  that  it  occurred 
to  us  that  it  would  perhaps  be  better  to  see  him  to  the  Fleet- 
street  end  of  the  lane  and  then  to  put  him  into  a  Westminster 
omnibus,  but  we  had  reached  Somerset  House  before  one  going 
that  way  came  in  sight.  Then  it  was  Mr.  John  Morgan  suddenly 
recollected  that  he  could  not  pass  his  old  friend  Short — who  was 
Short  ?  why  surely  you  know  Short — old  Short,  him  as  sells  the 
wine  so  good  and  so  cheap,  there  over  the  way — that's  Short's — 
'*  Wines  from  the  Wood,"  that's  out  of  the  cask  you  know,  you 
remind  me  to-morrow,  sir,  and  I'll  tell  you  a  good  tale  about  old 
Short  before  he  made  such  a  lot  of  money  as  he  has  got  now. — 
Capital  chap  old  Short,  he  knows  me — it's  all  about  a  song  I 
wrote — but  I'll  tell  you  all  about  it  to  morrow.  Besides  I  must 
have  change  ye  know  for  there's  no  one  got  any  at  my  home 
— my  landlord — There's  no  change  about  him,  Oh  !  dear  no — 
He's  never  got  any  change  but  he's  always  got  an  old  account, 
do  you  see  ?  an  old  account — but  no  matter  let's  go  in  ! 

Respectfully,  but  firmly  declining  the  kind  and  very  pressing 
invitation  to  have  "only  just  one  drop  with  old  Short." 
We  left  Mr.  John  Morgan  to  take  care  of  himself  for  the  day 
and  to  be  sure  to  meet  us  on  the  next  morning  in  Barnard's  Inn 
at  lo  o'clock — sharp. 

At  length  the  wishful  morrow  came,  also  ten  of  the  clock,  but 
not  so  Mr.  John  Morgan,  nor  did  he  call  at  any  hour  during  the 
day.  But  soon  after  ii  o'clock  the  next  day  he  made  his 
appearance,  but  being  so  stupidly  drunk  we  gave  him  some 
money  and  told  him  to  call  again  to-morrow.  And  he  did,  but 
still  so  muddled  that  we  could  make  nothing  out  of  him,  so  we 
somewhat  curtly  dismissed  him  and  returned  to  Brighton. 

The  next  day  the  letter — of  which  we  give  a  verbatim  et  litera- 
tim copy — was  received  and  then  forwarded  on  to  us. 


XXll. 

90  Great  Peter  Street 

Westminister,  S.W. 

Saturday  the  5th  of  March  1870. 

My  Dear  and  Kind  Sir: — I  return  you   my  most  sincere    and 

heartfelt  thanks  for  the  Kindness  I  received  from  you  and  deeply  I  regret 

if  I  caused  you  any  displeasure  the  fact  is  I  have  been  greatly  put  about 

And  you  having  been  so  kind  as  to  give  me  refreshments  it  overpowered  me 

I  fell  and  hurt  myself.  And  I  am  now  destitute  without  a  penny  in  the  world 

or  a  friend  to  help  me.     I  feel  as  though  I  offended  you  I  hope  not  I  think 

by  the  Little  conversation  we  had  I  may  be  able  to  please  you  I  have  been 

considering  in  my  doleful  moments  matters  of  importance  if  my  kind  and 

good  friend  you  can  favour  me  with  a  Line  this  Saturday  Evening  I  will  be 

most  grateful  I  shall  not  go  out  waiting  to  hear  from  you  I  am  placed  in  a 

most  Sad  position  accept  my  thanks  write  Me  a  Line  in  answer  to  this 

Befriend  me  if  it  is  possible  And  I  will  make  all  right  and  with  gratitude, 

/ 
Anxiously  waiting  your  kind  and  I  trust  favourable  reply, 

Charles  Hindley,  Esq 

6  Barnard's  Inn 
Holborn 

W.C. 


Having  no  desire  to  incur  the  expense  of  another  journey  to 
London  in  the  matter,  and  believing  that  we  had  obtained 
sufficient  information  on  the  subject,  we  published,  in  the 
year  187 1,  a  limited  number  of  copies  of  our  work  under  the 
title  of :— 


CURIOSITIES 

OF 


STREET    LITERATURE: 

COMPRISING 

"COCKS,"    OR    "CATCHPENNIES," 

A  Large  and  Curious  Assortment  of 

STREET  DROLLERIES,   SQUIBS,  HISTORIES,  COMIC  STORIES 
IN   PROSE  AND  VERSE, 

Broadsides  on  the  Royal  JP'amily, 
political  litanies,  dialogues,  catechisms,  acts  of  parliament, 

STREET  POLITICAL  PAPERS. 

A  VARIETY  OF  "  BALLADS  ON  A  SUBJECT," 
DYING  SPEECHES  AND  CONFESSIONS, 

TO  -WHICH   IS  ATTACHED  THE  ALL-IMPORTANT  AND   NECESSARY 

AFFECTIONATE    COPY    OF    VERSES. 

AS 

**  Come,  all  you  feeling-hearted  Christians,  wherever  you  may  be, 
Attention  give  to  these  few  lines,  and  listen  unto  me  ; 
It's  of  this  cruel  murder,  to  you  I  will  unfold, 
The  bare  recital  of  ^he  same  will  make  your  blood  n;n  cold." 


"  What  hast  here  ?    ballads  ?    I  love  a  ballad  in  print,  or  a  life  ;  for  then  we  are  sure 
they  are  true." — Shakespeare. 

"  There's  nothing  beats  a  stunning  good  murder,  after  all." — Experiences  of  a  Running 
Patterer. 


LONDON  : 

REEVES     AND    TURNER 
196,  STRAND, 

1871. 


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XXV. 

Our  work  on  the  Curiosities  of  Street  Literature  soon  ran 
out  of  print.  But  we  continued  to  gather  from  time  to  time 
fresh  information  on  the  subject  of  the  '*  Two  Catnachs — John 
and  James,"  and  in  the  early  part  of  1876  we  determined  on 
publishing  a  work,  to  be  entitled  "The  Life  and  Times  of 
James  Catnach  —late  of  Seven  Dials — Ballad  Monger."  And 
for  the  purpose  of  obtaining  the  verification,  amendment,  or 
denial  to  the  several  scraps  of  information  we  had  obtained,  we 
wrote  to  our  old  friend,  Mr.  John  Morgan,  on  the  subject,  and 
from  him  we  received  the  letters  that  follow  : — 

No.  I,  Model  Cottages,  Little  St.  Anne's  Lane, 

Great  Peter  Street,  Westminster, 

London,  S.W. 

ibth  February^  1876. 
Sir, 

I  received  your  Letter  this  Morning :  I  have  removed  to  above  address 
two  years  and  seven  months,  I  have  been  in  Bed  seven  weeks  suffering  from 
Bronchitis ;  but  am  now  recovering  and  shall  get  up  to-day,  but  the  Doctor 
will  not  permit  me  to  go  out. 

Whatever  you  may  require  I  am  ready  and  willing  to  do  to  the  utmost  of 
my  abilities,  and  be  happy  to  serve  you,  and  much  regret  I  have  not  the 

strength  to    venture    to Street.    If  anything  can  be  done  by 

Letter  or  otherwise,  I  will  willingly  attend  *o  your  request,  your  reply  will 
greatly  obhge. 


P.S.-Please  excuse  the  illegible  scribble  as  I  write  this  in  Bed. 

rles  Hindley,  Esq., 

76,  Rose  Hill  Terrace,  Brighton. 


XXVI. 

No.  I,  Model  Cottages,  Little  St.  Ann's  Lane, 

Great  Peter  Street,  Westminster,  London,  S.W. 

I'jth  February,  1876. 
Sir, 

I  have  just  received  yours,  7  p.m.,  and  in  reply  I  beg  to  say  that  when  I 
came  to  London  in  18 18  Catnach's  Father  was  not  living. 

Catnach,  his  Mother,  and  Sister  Julia  the  youngest,  resided  at  2, 
Monmouth  Court,  the  old  woman  and  Julia  worked  at  a  small  hand  press— 

I  joined  him  about  1818— his  father  died  before I  understood  Julia  went 

astray— the  Mother  Died  about  1826.  Anne  Ryle  was  the  widow  of  au 
Officer :  a  Waterloo  man— with  one  child— had  a  pension. 

Catnach  had  but  little  type,  and  no  stock  to  speak  of:  he  had  a  Sister  at 
Portsea  the  wife  of  a  mate  of  a  ship  in  harbour,  and  kept  a  song-shop. 
His  Mother  lived  with  him  7  or  8  years I  understand  about  the  "  Horses- 
heads."    Cox  and  Kean,  I  forget  except  the  title  and  chorus  :— 

COX  versus  KEAN; 

OR 

Little  Breeches. 

"  With  his  ginger  tail  he  did  assail,  and  did  the  prize  obtain, 
This  Merry  Little  Wanton  Bantam  Cock  of  Drury  Lane — 

Little  Breeches." 

Ann  Stanton  was  tried  for  cutting  the  Cock's  Head  off  there  was 
no  verses. 

As  regards  the  Sausages,  Catnach  printed  a  few  lines  on  a  quarter-sheet, 
that  caused  a  great  uproar,  he  was  taken  to  Bow  Street.  Catnach  had  six 
months.  There  was  no  verses,  it  was  quickly  done.  He  printed  the  life  of 
Mother  Cummins,  of  Dyot  Street— now,  George  Street,  and  that  was 
knocked  into  "  pye  "  in  quick  sticks.  There  was  a  change  after  he  went  to 
Alnwick  in  Northumberland,  where  he  carried  a  small  press  and  printed 
the  state  of  the  poll  every  day,  while  there  he  took  up  his  freedom.*  He 
came  home  and  printed  **  Cubitt's  Treadmill":— 

"  And  we're  all  treading,  tread,  tread,  treading, 
And  we're  all  treading  at  fam'd  Brixton  Mill." 

and  kept  going  forward— retired  and  went  to  Bamet,  left  the  business  to 
James  Paul  and  Ann  Ryle.  That  is  many  years  ago.  I  seldom  go  near 
the  Seven  Dials,  perhaps  once  in  3,  4,  5,  or  six  months.  I  remember  many 
occurrances  but  56  years  is  a  long  time,  I  have  just  entered  my  77th  year. 
Anything  you  require  as  far  as  I  can  I  will  send  and  remain, 

Charles  Hindley,  Esq., 

76,  Rose  Hill  Terrace,  Brighton. 

*  This  is  an  error — See  page  76. 


xxvu. 

I  Model  Cottages,  Little  Ann's  Lane, 

Great  Peter  Street,  Westminster,  London,  S.W. 

zc^th  February,  1876. 
Dear  Sir  :— 

If  I  was  to  go  back  and  think  of  passing  events  it  would  fill  a  volume. 
First  in  1820— Catnach  then  being  very  poor— at  the  death  of  George  the 
third,  and  the  Duke  of  Kent  he  printed  an  Elegy : 

"  Mourn,  Britons  mourn  !  Your  sons  deplore, 
Our  royal  Sovereign  is  now  no  more." 

Then  comes  the  election  for  Westminster :  Burdett,  Hobhouse,  and  Lamb. 
He  had  a  song : — 

"  Oh,  Cammy  Hobby  is  the  man, 

And  so  is  daddy  Sir  Franky,  O  ; 

The  Hon.  W,  Lamb  is  going  mad 

And  kicking  like  a  donkey,  O." 

"  Oh,  the  naughty  Lamb — 
The  miserable  sinner,  O 
We'll  have  him  roast  and  boil'd 
And  cut  him  up  for  dinner,  O." 

During  the  whole  time  of  the  election  party  spirit  ran  very  high.  A  real 
lamb's  head  with  a  real  rat  in  its  mouth,  was  stuck  upon  the  top  of  a  pole. 
From  the  rat's  tail  hung  a  cock's  comb.  On  the  lamb's  head  was  placed  a 
lawyer's  wig,  surmounted  with  a  fool's  cap.  On  a  board  immediately  below 
the  head,  was  inscribed  in  front — "  Behold  the  ratting  lamb,  with  a  cock's 
comb  at  his  tail."    On  the  other  side,  the  inscription  was — 


"  If  silly  lambs  will  go  ratting, 
'Tis  fit  they  get  this  sort  of  batting,' 


Then  came  The  Dog's  Meat  Man— Founded  on  fact  :— 

IN  Gray's  Inn  Lane,  not  long  ago. 
An  old  maid  lived  a  life  of  woe  ; 
She  was  fifty-three,  with  a  face  like  tan, 
When  she  fell  in  love  with  a  dogs'-meat  man. 
Much  she  loved  this  dogs'-meat  man. 
He  was  a  good-looking  dogs'-meat  man  ; 
Her  roses  and  lilies  were  turn'd  to  tan. 
When  she  fell  in  love  wi'  the  dogs'-meat  man. 

Every  morning  when  he  went  by, 

Whether  the  weather  was  wet  or  dry. 

And  right  opposite  her  door  he'd  stand. 

And  cry  "  dogs'-meat,"  did  this  dogs'-meat  man. 

Then  her  cat  would  run  out  to  the  dogs'-meat  man, 

Andrub  against  the  barrow  of  the  dogs'-meat  maa, 

As  right  opposite  to  her  door  he'd  stand. 

And  cry  ''^ Dogs'  Meat,  did  this  dogs'-meat  man. 


*  The  numbers  at  the  close  of  the  Poll  on  Saturday,  24th  March,  at  three  o'clock, 
stood  as  under  : — 

Sir  Francis  Burdett 5,327 

J.  Cam  Hobhouse,  Esq 4,884 

Hon.  W.  Lamb 4,436 


XXVlll. 


He  said  his  customers,  good  lord  ! 

Owed  him  a  matter  of  two  pound  odd  ; 

And  she  replied,  it  was  quite  scan- 

Dalous  to  cheat  such  a  dogs'-meat  man. 

*'  If  I  had  but  the  money,"  says  the  dogs'-meat  man, 

"  I'd  open  a  tripe-shop,"  says  the  dogs'-meat  man, 

"  And  I'd  marry  you  to-morrow." — She  admired  the  plan, 

And  she  lent  a/lve-pound  note  to  the  dogs'-meat  man. 


He  pocketed  the  money  and  went  away, 

She  waited  for  him  all  next  day. 

But  he  never  com'd ;  and  then  she  began 

To  think  she  was  diddled  by  the  dogs'-meat  man  ; 

She  went  to  seek  this  dogs'-meat  man, 

But  she  couldn't  find  the  dogs'-meat  man  ; 

Some  friend  §ave  her  to  understan' 

He'd  got  a  wife  and  seven  children— this  dogs'-meat  man. 


Mother  Cummins  lived  and  kept  Brothels  in  Dyot  Street,  Bloomsbury 
Square,  after,  and  still  called  George  Street,  named  after  the  Prince  Regent 
George  4th,  at  that  time  "Beggar's  Opera  "  where  the  Prince  and  nobles 
resorted  was  at  the  Rose  and  Crown,  Church  Lane,  St.  Giles.  Catnach 
printed  her  life.  In  the  Beggar's  Opera,  were  assembled  matchmakers, 
beggars,  prigs  and  all  the  lowest  of  the  low.  There  was  old  black  Billy 
Waters,  with  his  wooden  leg,  dancing  and  playing  his  fiddle,  and  singing;— 

Polly  will  you  marry  me — Polly  don't  you  cry, 
Polly  come  to  bed  with  me ;  and  get  a  little  boy. 

some  were  dipping  matches,  some  boiling  potatoes  and  salt  herrings,  some 
swearing,  some  dancing— all  manners  of  fun,  &c. 

Then  comes  Queen  Caroline's  trial ;  Catnach  gets  out  a  song  :— 

As  I  walked  down  the  Greenwich-road  one  evening  in  June, 

I  never  saw  so  fine  a  sight  as  on  that  afternoon. 

I  never  saw  so  fine  a  sight,  or,  one  half  so  good, 

As  for  to  see  Queen  Caroline  supported  by  a  Wood. 

That  Wood  shall  never  be  cut  down,  but  stand  for  ever  more  ; 

And  he'll  protect  our  innocent  Queen  Sweet  Caroline  on  our  shore. 

which  was  followed  by  a  skit  on  George  IVth  called  :— 
"  The  Great  Babe  in  a  Mess." 

then  another  on  Queen  Caroline's  cnn  con  case  with  Bergami  who  couldn't 
remember  nothing  at  all. 


Bergami,  the  Non  mi  recordo.' 


XXIX. 


Who  are  you  ?  "  Non  mi  recordo" 

What  countryman  are  you— a  foreigner  or  an  Englishman?  ^^  Non  mi  recordo  " 
There  was  something  fresh  everyday  until  the  end  of  the  Trial.    Catnach 

then  prints  some  "papers"  belonging  to  J.  Pitts,  Printer,   Gt.  Saint 

Andrew-street,  which  causes  a  flare-up  and  a  bother. 

Then  comes  the  sheet  of  "  Horses  Heads  "  which  heads  were  hkeEldon, 
Peel,  Canning,  &c.  Just  before  they  were  out  Mr.  RockclifF,  a  Printer  in 
Old  Gravel  Lane,  RadclifF-Highway  sends  for  me— there  was  bottles  of 
whisky.  RockclifF  had  engaged  with  a  man  called  Oliver  Cromwell  to  get 
him  one  of  the  first  sheets  printed  oiF  Catnach's  press  of  the  **  Horses 
Heads  "  and  he  would  give  him  half-a-crown.  Rockcliff  then  requested 
rae  to  bring  him  the  first  sheet  cf  ''Horses  Heads"  and  get  the  half-a- 
crown.  I  went  and  got  the  sheet  and  meets  Oliver  Cromwell  going  into 
Catnach's  as  I  came  out,  so  I  got  the  half-a-crown.  RockclifF  copies  the 
sheet,  then  engaged  with  Lowe  the  Printer  in  Compton-street  to  supply  all 
the  West-end.    So  it  went  on  and  made  plenty  of  bother  between  them. 

Catnach  got  on  like  a  house  on  fire  printing  Religious  Sheets,  then  came 
the  murder  of  William  Weare  Esq.  by  John  Thurtell,  Hunt  and  Probert. 
I  remember  all  that  affair  well,— Then  the  execution  of  Thurtell.  '  A  twelve- 
month after  Probert  was  hanged  for  horsestealing.  Then  came  the  trial  of 
Henry  Fauntleroy  a  banker  in  Berner's  Street  Oxford  Street  executed  for 
forgery.  Then  came  Corder  and  Maria  Marten  and  the  Red  Bam,  so  that 
is  the  way  Catnach  got  on  from  a  poor  man  to  be  a  gentleman.  There  is 
many  little  things  I  may  think  of  but  close  for  the  present  and  remain :— 


XXX. 

I,  Model  Cottages,  Little  St.  Ann's  Lane, 

Great  Peter  Street,  Westminster, 

London,  ilth  March,  1876. 
Sir, 

I  received  yours.    My  recollection  is  not  so  good  as  I  would  wish. 

I  think  to  the  best  of  my  recollection  in  1819  there  were  some  old  men 
who  had  been  forty-years  in  the  streets  at  that  time,  their  names  were  old 
Jack  Smith,  Tom  Caton,  old  Jack  Rush,  Tom  Anderson  and  a  few  others. 
When  they  wanted  anything  they  made  up  fresh  reports,  and  things  were 
done  without  the  least  hesitation.  As  respects  Mr.  Pizzy  the  Pork  Butcher, 
it  was  some  of  these  men  that  went  to  Blackman  Street,  Clare  Market,  and 
created  an  uproar  about  the  sausages,  crowds  assembled,  and  windows  were 
broken,  they  were  charged  with  rioting  and  taken  to  Bow  Street,  before— 
as  they  told  me.  Sir  Richard  Bumie,  and  I  think  Mr.  MinshuU.  Catnach  was 
sent  to  Clerkenwell  for  trial,  and  was  afterwards  sentenced  to  six  months, 
and  he  served  the  full  time.  Then  there  was  the  trial  of  the  four  poor 
Irishmen  for  coining,  in  ^the  first  year  of  the  mayorality  of  the  late  Sir 
Matthew  Wood,  and  a  lot  of  other  things  which  I  think  would  answer  the 
purpose. 

About  twenty-six  years  ago  Henry  Mayhew  sent  for  me,  and  he  began  a 
a  work  something  like  yours,  but  by  some  means  it  stopped.  There  is  mat- 
ters that  would  help  to  fill  up  a  Book  without  going  to  much  expense. 


Charles  Hindley,  Esq., 

76,  Rose  Hill  Terrace,  Brighton. 


At  this  date  we  were  through  the  instrumentality  of  Mrs.  Paul, 
widow  of  Mr.  James  Paul — formerly  in  the  service  of  Catnach, 
introduced  to  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Benton,  the  last  surviving  daughter 
of  John  and  Mary  Catnach.  Mr.  Benton  was  assistant  treasurer, 
and  box-book  keeper  to  Mr.  Alfred  Bunn,  of  Covent  Garden  and 
Drury  Lane  Theatres,  Mrs.  Benton,  at  the  time  being  wardrobe- 
mistress  and  costumier.     At  one  period  Mr.  and  Mrs. Benton  lived 


XXXI. 

with  Mr.  Bunn  in  St  James'  Place,  St.  James'  Street,  Mrs.  Benton 
acting  in  the  capacity  of  housekeeper.  During  several  seasons 
Mr.  Benton  was  also  treasurer  for  the  proprietors  of  Vauxhall 
Gardens,  afterwards  he  filled  the  same  office  for  E.  T.  Smith — 
Dazzle  Smith  !  at  Cremorne  Gardens.  He  died  abroad  in  1856. 
The  interview  we  had  with  Mrs.  Benton  led  up  to  receiving  the 
two  letters  that  follow : — 


5,  Sonderburg  Road, 

Seven  Sisters*  Road,  Holloway. 
London.    November^  i^th,  1876. 
Dear  Sir, 

In  reply  to  your  letter,  in  which  you  ask  if  I  know  where  my  Father  and 
mother  were  married,  I  regret  to  say  I  do  not  know  for  certain  if  it  was  in 
Edinburgh  or  Berwick-on-Tweed,  but  I  am  certain  it  was  not  in  Alnwick. 

********* 
********* 

I  shall  feel  obliged  for  the  [Alnwick  J  Journal,  and  also  for  the  Register 
of  Baptisms. 

I  always  understood  that  my  father  was  a  descendant  of  Catnach,  King  of 
the  Picts. 


/ 


dS^ 


P.S.— The  paper  has  not  arrived— shall  be  glad  to  hear  from  you  by  return 
of  Post. 

Charles  Hindley,  Esq., 

76,  Rose  Hill  Terrace,  Brighton. 


XXXll. 

5,  Sonderburg  Road, 

Seven  Sisters'  Road,  HoUoway, 
London.    November  i8,  1876. 
Dear  Sir, 
I  am  soiry  I  have  not  answered  your  letter  before,  but  I  have  been  very  ill. 

I  am  soiTy  I  can  give  you  no  more  information  than  I  have  already  given 

you,  but  about  Mrs.  Ryle  and  Mr. I  cannot  exactly  say,  and  as  ray  niece 

Mrs.  Harding  was  but  a  girl  when  her  uncle  died  I  should  not  like  to  apply 
to  her  as  it  would  be  painful. 

My  father  was  dead  when  the  Battle  of  Waterloo  was  fought,  but  was  in 
Alnwick  at  the  Battle  of  Trafalgar,  and  for  some  time  after.  My  Father 
had  3  residences  in  London,  i.  (only  a  shop)  in  Wardour  Street,  Soho 
Square,  and  ditto  also  Gerrard  Street,  and  also  in  Charlotte  Street,  Fitzroy 
Square  (apartments). 

My  Father  had  a  severe  illness,  also  a  fever  of  which  he  died.  I  should 
feel  very  much  obliged  if  you  could  find  me  a  copy  of  the  Hermit  of 
Warkvvorth,  and  I  will  willingly  pay  for  it,  and  also  Blair's  Grave. 

I  am  very  much  obliged  for  the  Registers,  and  if  I  can  supply  you  with 
further  information  I  will  do  so  with  pleasure.  I  have  not  heard  from  Mr. 
[Mark]  Smith. 


/ 


Xt^^^?^'^^^*<^'l^ 


d^ 


P.S.— I  received  the  Paper  [Ahiwick  Journal]  with  thanks. 


C.  Hindley,  Esq., 

76,  Rose  liill  Terrace,  Brighton. 


XXXlll. 

It  was  at  this  particular  date  of  our  history — 1876 — that  we 
had  the  good  fortune  to  get  acquainted  with  Mr.  George  Skelly, 
of  Alnwick — who,  like  ourselves,  is  possessed  of  the  cacoethes 
scribendt\  and  was  at  the  time  supplying,  con  arnore,  an  article  to 
the  Alnwick  yournal^  entitled  "John  and  James  Catnach," 
which  we  found  to  contain  certain  information  relative  to  the 
elder  Catnach,  and  also  of  the  earlier  portion  of  the  life  of 
James,  of  which  we  had  no  previous  knowledge.  At  our  solici- 
tation to  be  allowed  to  make  a  selection  from  the  same,  we 
received  a  most  courteous  and  gentlemanly  letter,  which,  in 
addition  to  containing  several  pieces  of  information  and  answers 
to  many  queries  we  had  put  to  Mr.  Skelly,  he  wound  up  by  say- 
ing : — "  You  have  full  liberty  to  make  use  of  anything  that  1 
have  written,  and  it  will  afford  me  much  pleasure  if  I  can  fur- 
ther your  intentions  in  any  way." 

From  that  date,  Mr.  George  Skelly  continued  to  correspond 
with  us  on  the  subject  of  the  *'  Two  Catnachs,"  nearly  up  to 
the  last  moment  of  our  going  to  press  with  our  own  "  Life  and 
Times  of  James  Catnach,"  and  to  him  we  are  greatly  indebted 
for  much  of  the  information  therein  contained.  And  it  was  at 
his  suggestion  that  we  wrote  the  following  letter  to  the  Abiwick 
Journal — Mr.  Skelly  at  the  same  time  furnishing  the  local  para- 
graph. 


Setter  t0  t|^e  ®Mt0r. 

To  the  Editor  of  the  Alnwick  Journal. 

76,  Rose  Hill  Terrace,  Brighton, 
June  1 6th,  1876. 
Sir,— Your  townsman,  Mr,  George  Skelly,  in  the 
concluding  chapter  of  his  excellent  article  of  "  John 
and  James  Catnach,"  makes  mention  of  my  name  as 
being  engaged  in  preparing  for  publication  "  The 
Life  and  Times  of  James  Catnach.  formerly  of  Seven 


XXXIV. 

Dials,  printer  of  ballads,  &c."  Such  being  the  fact, 
I  shall  therefore  be  glad  if  you  would  allow  me  suffi- 
cient space  in  the  Alnwick  Journal^  to  ask  your 
readers  and  correspondents  who  possess  any  addi- 
tional facts,  sa)dngs,  doings,  or  letters  of  the  two 
Catnachs— John  and  James — to  supply  me  with  the 
same,  when  I  shall  have  much  pleasure  in  assigning 
to  any  such  contributions  a  proper  chronological 
place  in  my  work,  and  of  acknowledging  the  source 
of  the  same,  while  all  documents  or  books  will  be 
faithfully  returned  by  yours,  &c.,  &c., 

Charles  Hindley. 


John  and  James  Catnach.— It  will  be  seen  by 
a  correspondence  in  another  page  that  Mr.  Charles 
Hindley,  of  Brighton,  is  preparing  for  publication 
the  **  Life  and  Times  of  James  Catnach,"  and  he 
respectfully  solicits  from  our  readers  any  facts  and 
scraps  they  may  be  possessed  of,  also  the  loan  of  any 
letters  or  books  suitable  for  the  extention  of  the  life 
of  the  celebrated  and  withal  eccentric  printer,  who, 
although  a  native  of  Alnwick,  settled  in  London, 
and  occupied  a  peculiar  position  for  upwards  of  a 
quarter  of  a  century  in  the  Seven  Dials  district.  We 
trust  that  our  correspondent  may  be  enabled  to  add 
to  his  all  ready  large  stock  of  material  in  hand  a  few 
more  items,  by  the  publication  of  his  letter  in  our 
columns.  Mr.  Hindley*s  work,  will,  it  is  expected, 
be  published  by  Messrs.  Reeves  and  Turner,  of  the 
Strand,  London,  during  the  coming  autumn. 


The  above  letter  to  the  Alnwick  yournal  was  the  means  of 
obtaining  another  valuable  correspondent — Mr.  George  H. 
Thompson,  also  of  Alnwick,  who  volunteered  his  services  to  aid 
and  assist,  to  the  best  of  his  time  and  ability,  in  supplying  all 
the  information  he  possessed  or  could  glean  from  his  friends 
and  acquaintances  in  the  good  old  borough  of  Alnwick,  or  the 
county  at  large.  And  inter  alia  copied  out  verbatim  from  the 
Parish  Register  of  Baptisms  in  St.  Michael's  Church  all  the 
entries  in  connection  with  the  family  of  John  and  Mary  Catnach 
and  which  will  be  found  in  extenso  at  pages  2-3  oi  this  work. 


XXXV. 

Mr.  George  Skelly  and  Mr.  G.  H.  Thompson  are  fortunate  by 
their  residence  in  Alnwick  in  having  had  the  acquaintance  and 
friendship  of  the  late  Mr.  Mark  Smith — James  Catnach's  fellow 
apprentice,  Mr.  Thomas  Robertson,  Mr.  Tate,  the  local  historian, 
and  several  other  Alnwick-folk.  And  they  have  made  the  best 
possible  use  of  the  circumstance  to  supply  us  with  information  on 
the  subject  of  our  enquiry. 

Recently  Mr.  Geo.  Skelly  has  forwarded  to  us  an  original 
trade  invoice  of  John  Catnach  of  which  we  here  append  a 
facsimile  copy  : — 


1807. 
July  29, 

Printing  500  Bills 


8  „    6 


^^t  a 


(2/v    iCi/r^n^z^LyC>0 


We  have  now  brought  up  the  history  of  our  pursuit  of  know- 
ledge to  the  eve  of  tlie  publication  of  the  Life  and  Times  of 
James  Catnach — late  of  Sev^n  DIliIs,  Ballad-monger— which  was 
first  announced  in  1878  in  the  n.anntr  following. 


Je  Life  of  Jemmy  Catnach, 


Now,  my  friends,  you  have  here 
just  printed  and  pub— lish— ed,  the 
Full,  True,  and  Particular  account 
of  the  Life,  Trial,  Character,  Confes- 
sion, Condemnation,  and  Behaviour, 
together  with  an  authentic  copy  of 
thelast  asaill  anU  Eestamcnt: 
or  Dying  Speech,  of  that  eccentric 
individual  "Old  Jemmy  Catnach," 
late  of  the  Seven  Dialsy  printer, 
publisher,  toy-book  manufacturer, 
dying-speech  merchant,  and  ballad- 
monger.  Here,  you  may  read  how 
he  was  bred  and  born  the  son  of  a  printer,  in  the  ancient  Borough  of 
Alnwick,  which  is  in  Northumberlandshire.  How  he  came  to  London 
to  seek  his  fortune.  How  he  obtained  it  by  printing  and  publishing 
children's  books,  the  chronicling  of  doubtful  scandals,  fabulous  duels 
between  ladies  of  fashion,  "  cooked  "  assassinations,  and  sudden  deaths 
of  eminent  individuals,  apocryphal  elopements,  real  or  catch-penny 
accounts  of  murders,  impossible  robberies,  delusive  suicides,  dark  deeds 
and  public  executions,  to  which  was  usually  attached  the  all-important 
and  necessary  "Sorrowful  Lamentations,"  or,  "Copy  of  Affectionate 
Verses,"  which,  according  to  the  established  custom,  the  criminal  composed, 
in  the  condemned  cell,  the  night  before  his  execution. 

Yes,  my  customers,  in  this  book  you'll  read  how  Jemmy  Catnach  made 
his  fortune  in  Monmouth  Court,  which  is  to  this  day  in  the  Seven 
Dials,  which  is  in  London.  Not  only  will  you  read  how  he  did  make 
his  fortune,  but  also  what  he  did  and  what  he  didn't  do  with  it  after  he 
had  made  it.  You  will  also  read  how  "Old  Jemmy"  set  himself  up  as 
a  fine  gentleman :— James  Catnach  Es— quire. 

And  how  he  didn't  like  it  when  he  had  done  it.  And  how  he  went 
back  again  to  dear  old  Monmouth  Court,  which  is  in  the  Seven  Dials 
aforesaid.  And  how  he  languished,  and  languishing,  did  die— leaving 
all  his  old  mouldy  coppers  behind  him  —and  how  being  dead,  he  was 
buried  in  Highgate  Cemetery. 

Furthermore,  my  ready-money  customers,  you  are  informed  that  there 
are  only  750  copies  of  the  work  print-ed  and  pub-lish-ed,  viz.,  namely 
that  is  to  say;— 500  copies  on  croAvn  8vo,  at  12/6  each. 
250  copies  on  demy  8vo.,  at  25/-  each. 


LONDON : 

REEVES     AND     TURNER, 

196,   STRAND,  W.C. 


1878. 


XXXVll. 

The  Seven  Dials  ! — Jemmy  Catnach  and  Street  Literature  are, 
as  it  were,  so  inseparably  bound  together  that  we  now  propose 
to  give  a  short  history  of  the  former  to  enable  us  to  connect  our 
own  history  with  the  later  : — 

The  Seven  Dials  were  built  for  wealthy  tenants,  and  Evelyn, 
in  his  Diary ^  1694,  notes  :  "  I  went  to  see  the  building  near  St. 
Giles's,  where  Seven  Dials  make  a  star  from  a  Doric  pillar  placed 
in  the  middle  of  a  circular  area,  in  imitation  of  Venice."  The 
attempt  was  not  altogether  in  vain.  This  part  of  the  parish  has 
ever  since  "  worn  its  dirt  with  a  difference."  There  is  an  air  of 
shabby  gentility  about  it.  The  air  of  the  footman  or  waiting- 
maid  can  be  recognised  through  the  tatters,  which  are  worn  with 
more  assumption  than  those  of  their  unsophisticated  neighbours. 

*'  You  may  break,  you  may  shatter  the  vase  if  you  will ; 
But  the  scent  of  the  roses  will  hang  round  it  still." 

The  Seven  Dials  are  thus  described  in  Gay's  Trivia : — 

"  Where  famed  St.  Giles's  ancient  limits  spread, 
An  in-railed  column  rears  its  lofty  head  ; 
Here  to  seven  streets,  seven  dials  count  their  day. 
And  from  each  other  catch  the  circling  ray  ; 
Here  oft  the  peasant,  with  inquiring  face. 
Bewildered,  trudges  on  from  place  to  place  ;    , 
He  dwells  on  every  sign  with  stupid  gaze — 
Enters  the  narrow  alley's  doubtful  maze — 
Tries  every  winding  court  and  street  in  vain, 
And  doubles  o'er  his  weary  steps  again." 

This  column  was  removed  in  July,  1773,  on  the  supposition 
that  a  considerable  sum  of  money  was  lodged  at  the  base  j  but 
the  search  was  ineffectual 

6 


xxxvni. 

Charles  Knight,  in  his**  London,"  writes  thus  of  Seven  Dials : — 

**  It  is  here  that  the  literature  of  St.  Giles's  has  fixed  its  abode ;  and  a 
literature  the  parish  has  of  its  own,  and  that,  as  times  go,  of  a  very  respect- 
able standing  in  point  of  antiquity.  In  a  letter  from  Letitia  Pilkington,  to 
the  demure  author  of  '  Sir  Charles  Grandison,'  and  published  by  the  no 
less  exemplary  and  irreproachable  Mrs.  Barbauld,  the  lady  informs  her 
correspondent  that  she  has  taken  apartments  in  Great  White  Lion  Street, 
and  stuck  up  a  bill  intimating  that  all  who  have  not  found  *  reading  and 
writing  come  by  nature,'  and  who  had  had  no  teacher  to  make  up  the 
defect  by  art,  might  have  'letters  written  here.'  With  the  progress  of 
education,  printing  presses  have  found  their  way  into  St.  Giles's,  and  what 
with  literature  and  a  taste  for  flowers  and  birds,  there  is  much  of  the  'sweet 
south '  about  the  Seven  Dials  harmonising  with  the  out-of-door  habits  of 
its  occupants.  It  was  here — in  Monmouth  Court,  a  thoroughfare  connect- 
ing Monmouth  Street  with  Little  Earl  Street — that  the  late  eminent  Mr. 
Catnach  developed  the  resources  of  his  genius  and  trade.  It  was  he  who 
first  availed  himself  of  greater  mechanical  skill  and  a  larger  capital  than 
had  previously  been  employed  in  the  department  of  the  trade,  to  substi- 
tute— for  the  excrable  tea-paper,  blotched  with  lamp-black  and  oil,  which 
characterised  the  old  broadside  and  ballad  printing — tolerably  white  paper 
and  real  printer's  ink.  But  more  than  that,  it  was  he  who  first  conceived 
and  carried  into  effect,  the  idea  of  publishing  collections  of  songs  by  the 
yard,  and  giving  to  purchasers,  for  the  small  sum  of  one  penny  (in  foi-mer 
days  the  cost  of  a  single  ballad),  strings  of  poetry,  resembling  in  shape  and 
length  the  list  of  Don  Juan's  mistresses,  which  Leporello  unrolls  on  the 
stage  before  Donna  Anna.  He  was  no  ordinary  man,  Catnach  ;  he  pa- 
tronised original  talents  in  many  a  bard  of  St  Giles's  and  is  understood  to 
-  have  accumulated  the  largest  store  of  broadsides, last  dying  speeches,ballads 
and  other  stock-in-trade  of  the  flying  stationer's  upon  record." 

Douglas  Jerrold  in  his  article  on  the  Ballad  Singer,  published 
in  "  Heads  of  the  People ;  or  Portraits  of  the  English  "— 1841, 
writes  thus  of  Seven  Dials  and  its  surroundings  : — 

' '  The  public  ear  has  become  dainty,  fastidious,  hypercritical ;  hence  the 
Ballad-Singer  languishes  and  dies.     Only  now  and  then,  his  pipings  are  to 


xxxix. 

be  heard  *  •  *  With  the  fall  of  Napoleon,  declined  the  English 
Ballad-Singer.  During  the  war,  it  was  his  peculiar  province  to  vend  half- 
penny historical  abridgments  to  his  country's  glory ;  recommending  the 
short  poetic  chronicle  by  some  familiar  household  air,  that  fixed  it  in  the 
memory  of  the  purchaser,  who  thus  easily  got  hatred  of  the  French  by 
heart,  with  a  new  assurance  of  his  own  invulnerability.  No  battle  was 
fought,  no  vessel  taken  or  sunken,  that  the  triumph  was  not  published, 
proclaimed  in  the  national  gazette  of  our  Ballad- Singer,  If  he  were  not 
the  clear  silver  trump  of  Fame,  he  was  at  least  her  tin  horn.  It  was  he 
who  bellowed  music  into  news,  which,  made  to  jingle,  was  thus,  even  to 
the  weakest  understanding,  rendered  portable.  It  was  his  narrow  strips 
of  history  that  adorned  the  garrets  of  the  poor  ;  it  was  he  who  made  them 
yearn  towards  their  country,  albiet  to  them  so  rough  and  niggard  a  mother. 

Napoleon  lost  Waterloo,  and  the  English  Ballad-Signer  not  only  lost 
his  greatest  prerogative,  but  was  almost  immediately  assailed  by  foreign 
rivals,  who  had  well-nigh  played  him  dumb.  Little  thought  the  Ballad- 
Singer,  when  he  crQwed  forth  the  crowning  triumphs  of  the  war,  and  in 
his  sweetest  possible  modulations  breathed  the  promised  blessings  of  a 
golden  peace,  that  he  was  then,  swan-like,  singing  his  own  knell :  that  he 
did  but  herald  the  advent  of  his  own  proven9al  destroyers. 

Oh  muse  !  descend  and  say,  did  no  omen  tell  the  coming  of  the  fall  P 
Did  no  friendly  god  give  warning  to  the  native  son  of  song  ?  Burned  the 
stars  clearly,  tranquilly  in  heaven, — or  shot  they  madly  across  Primrose- 
hill,  the  Middlesex  Parnassus  ? 


Evening  had  gathered  o'er  Saint  Giles's,  and  Seven  Dials.  So  tranquil 
was  the  season,  even  publishers  were  touched.  Catnach  and  Pitts  sat 
silent  in  their  shops  ;  placing  their  hands  in  breeches-poke,  with  that 
serenity  which  pockets  best  convey,  they  looked  around  their  walls — walls 
more  richly  decked  than  if  hung  with  triumphs  of  Sidonian  looms,  arrayed 
with  Bayeux  stitchings  ;  walls,  where  ten  thousand  thousand  ballads  —strips 
harmonious,  yet  silent  as  Apollo's  unbraced  strings, — hung  pendulous,  or 
crisply  curling,  like  John  Braham's  hair.  Catnach  and  Pitts,  the  tuneful 
masters  of  the  gutter-choir,  serenely  looked,  yet  with  such  comprehensive 
glance,  that  look  did  take  their  stock.     Suddenly,  more  suddenly  than  e'er 


xL 

the  leaves  in  Horasey  wood  were  stirred  by  instant  blast,  the  thousand 
thousand  ballads  swung  and  rustled  on  the  walls  ;  yet  wind  there  was  not, 
not  the  lightest  breath.  Still  like  pendants  fluttering  in  a  northern  breeze, 
the  ballads  streamed  towards  Catnach,  and  towards  Pitts  !  Amazing 
truth — yet  more  ;  each  ballad  found  a  voice !  *  Old  Towler '  faintly 
growled  ;  *  Nancy  Dawson '  sobbed  and  sighed  ;  and,  '  Bright  Chanticleer ' 
crowed  weakly,  dolorously,  as  yet  in  chickenhood,  and  smitten  with  the 
pip.  At  the  same  instant,  the  fiddle,  the  antique  viol  of  Roger  Scratch, 
fell  from  its  garret-peg,  and  lay  shivered,  even  as  glass. 

A  cloud  fell  upon  Seven  Dials  ;  dread  and  terror  chilled  her  many  min- 
strels :  and  why — and  wherefore  ? 

At  that  dread  moment,  a  ministrel  from  the  sunny  south,  with  barrel- 
organ,  leapt  on  Dover  beach  !  Seven  Dials  felt  the  shock :  her  trouba- 
dours, poor  native  birds,  were  to  be  out-carrolled  and  out-quavered,  by 
Italian  opera  retailed  by  penn'orths  to  them,  from  the  barrel-organs  :  and 
prompt  to  follow  their  masters,  they  let  the  English  ballad  singer  sing  un- 
heard . 

The  Ballad- Singer  has  lost  his  occupation;  yet  should  he  not  pass  away 
unthanked,  unrecompensed.  We  have  seen  him  a  useful  minister  in  rude 
society ;  we  have  heard  him  a  loud-mouthed  advocate  of  party  zeal,  and 
we  have  seen  him  almost  ground  into  silence  by  the  southern  troubadour. 
Yet  was  he  the  first  music-seller  in  the  land.  Ye  well-stocked,  flourishing 
vendors  of  fashionable  scores,  deign  to  cast  a  look  through  plate  glass  at 
your  poor,  yet  great  original,  bare- footed  and  in  rags,  singing,  unabashed, 
amidst  London  wagon- wheels  :  behold  the  true  decendant  of  the  primative 
music-seller." 

Charles  Dickens,  as  Boz,  long  since  "sketched"  the  Seven 
Dials,  and  at  the  same  time  and  place  given  us  his — "  Medita- 
tions in  Monmouth  Street : — 

"  Seven  Dials  !  the  region  of  song  and  poetr}' — first  effusions,  and  last 
dying  speechees :  hallowed  by  the  names  of  Catnach  and  Pitts — names  that 
will  entwine  themselves  with  costermongers,  and  barrel-organs,  when  penny 
magazines  shall  have  superseded  penny  yards  of  song,  and  capital  punish- 
ment be  unknown." 


xU. 

Several  years  ago  Mr.  Albert  Smith,  who  lived  at  Chertsey, 
discovered  in  his  neighbourhood  part  of  the  Seven  Dials — the 
column  doing  duty  as  a  monument  to  a  Royal  Duchess — when 
he  described  the  circumstance  in  a  pleasant  paper,  entitled 
"  Some  News  of  a  famous  Old  Fellow,"  in  his  ''  Town  and 
Country  Magazine."     The  communication  is  as  follows : — 

"  Let  us  now  quit  the  noisome  mazes  of  St.  Giles's  and  go  out  and  away  into  the  pure 
leafy  country.  Seventeen  or  eighteen  miles  from  town,  in  the  county  of  Surrey,  is  the 
little  village  of  Weybridge. 

One  of  the  lions  to  be  seen  at  Weybridge  is  Oatlands,  with  its  large  artificial  grotto 
and  bath-room,  which  is  said — but  we  cannot  comprehend  the  statement — to  have  cost  the 
Duke  of  Newcastle,  who  had  it  built,  ;^4o,ooo.  The  late  Duchess  of  York  died  at  Oat- 
lands, and  lies  in  a  small  vault  under  Weybridge  Church,  wherein  there  is  a  monument, 
by  Chantrey,  to  her  memory.  She  was  an  excellent  lady,  well-loved  by  all  the  country 
people  about  her,  and  when  she  died  they  were  anxious  to  put  up  some  sort  of  a  tribute 
to  her  memory.  But  the  village  was  not  able  to  offer  a  large  some  of  money  for  this  pur- 
pose. The  good  folks  did  their  best,  but  the  amount  was  still  very  humble,  so  they  were 
obligated  to  dispense  with  the  service  of  any  eminent  architect,  and  build  up  only  such  a 
monument  as  their  means  could  compass.  Someone  told  them  that  there  was  a  column  to 
be  sold  cheap  in  a  stonemason's  yard,  which  might  answer  their  purpose.  It  was  accord- 
ingly purchased ;  a  coronet  was  placed  upon  its  summit ;  and  the  memorial  was  set  up  on 
Wej'bridge  Green,  in  front  of  the  Ship  Inn,  at  the  junction  of  the  roads  leading  to  Oat- 
lands, to  Shepperton  Lock,  and  to  Chertsey.  This  column  turned  out  to  be  the  original 
on«  from  Seven  Dials. 

The  stone  on  which  the  dials  were  engraved  or  fixed,  was  sold  with  it.  The  poet  Gay, 
however,  was  wrong  when  he  spoke  of  its  seven  faces.  It  is  hexagonal  in  its  shape  ;  this 
is  accounted  for  by  the  fact  that  two  of  the  streets  opened  into  one  angle.  It  was  not 
wanted  to  assist  in  forming  the  monument,  but  was  turned  into  a  stepping  stone,  near  the 
adjoining  inn,  to  assist  the  infirm  in  mounting  their  horses,  and  there  it  now  lies,  having 
sunk  by  degrees  into  the  earth  ;  but  its  original  form  can  still  be  easily  surmised.  It  may 
be  about  three  feet  in  diameter. 

The  column  itself  is  about  thirty  feet  high  and  two  feet  in  diameter,  displaying  no  great 
architectural  taste.  It  is  surmounted  by  a  coronet,  and  the  base  is  enclosed  by  a  light 
iron  railing.  An  appropriate  inscription  on  one  side  of  the  base  indicates  its  erection  in 
the  year  1822,  on  the  others  are  some  lines  to  the  memory  of  the  Duchess. 

Relics  undergo  strange  transpositions.  The  obelisk  from  the  mystic  solitudes  of  the 
Nile  to  the  centre  of  the  Place  de  la  Concorde,  in  bustling  Paris — the  monuments  of 
Nineveh  to  the  regions  of  Great  Russell  Street— the  frescoes  from  the  long,  dark,  and 
silent  Pompeii  to  the  bright  and  noisy  Naples — all  these  are  odd  changes.  But  in  pro- 
portion to  their  importance,  not  much  behind  them  is  that  old  column  from  the  crowded 
dismal  regions  of  St.  Giles  to  the  sunny  tranquil  Green  of  Weybridge." 


xlii. 

We  are  now  approaching—"  The  beginning  of  the  end  "-  -of 
our  history.  We  were  not  taken  by  surprise  as  we  know  that 
"  coming  events  cast  their  shadows  before,"  and  that : — 

Often  do  the  spirits 
Of  great  events  stride  on  before  the  events, 
And  in  to-day  already  walks  to-morrow. 

Therefore  we  were  well  prepared  to  read  in  the  newspapers  of 
October,  1883,  the  following  paragraph  : — 

The  old-established  printing  and  publishing  house 
formerly  occupied  by  James  Calnach,  2,  Monmouth- 
court,  Seven  Dials,  will  soon  be  amongst  the  lost 
landmarks  of  London.  The  Metropolitan  Board  of 
Works  have  purchased  the  house,  and  it  is  to  be 
pulled  down  to  make  the  new  street  from  Leicester- 
square  to  New  Oxford-street.  The  business  of  the 
literature  of  the  street  was  founded  by  James  Catnach 
in  18 13,  who  retired  in  1840.  The  ballads  and 
broadsides  he  printed,  many  of  them  illustrated  with 
cuts  by  Bewick,  helped  to  furnish  the  people  with 
news  and  political  and  social  ballads  for  generations. 

All  that  is  fortold  in  the  above  has  since  taken  place,  Mon- 
mouth-court  and  the  house  and  shop  wherein  old  Jemmy  Catnach 
estabHshed  the  "Catnach  Press"  in  the  year  1813  has  dis- 
appeared to  make  way  for  the  ^'  New  Thoroughfare "  from 
Leicester-square  to  New  Oxford  street,  and : — 

The  Catnach  Press 

removed  by  Mr.  W.  S.  Fortey — Catnach's  successor — to  Great 
St.  Andrew-street,  Bloomsbury,  W.C. 

O  tempora  !    O^mores  / 


>li      I     I    ■       Mil 

Thomas  Bewick, 


Thomas  Bewick  died  at  his  house  on  the  Windmill-Hills,  Gateshead,  November  the  8th, 
1828,  in  the  seventy-sixth  year  of  his',  age,  and  on  the  13th  he  was  buried  in  the  family 
burial-place  at  Ovingham,^, where  his  parents,  wife,  and  brother  were  interred. 


THE  CATNACH  PRESS. 


In  addition  to  the  full  title  of  our  work — "  The  History  of  the 
Catnach  Press  " — the  two  Catnachs — John  and  James — father 
and  son,  we  deem  it  necessary  to  incidentally  introduce  into 
our  pages  some  notice  of  Alnwick,  an  ancient  borough,  market- 
town  and  parish  of  Northumberland,  also  a  few  passing  remarks 
on  the  life  and  doings  of  Mr.  William  Davison,  who,  in  con- 
junction with  the  elder  Catnach  as  a  business  partner  and  sub- 
sequent successor,  employed  Thomas  Bewick — an  English 
artist,  who  imparted  the  first  impulse  to  the  art  of  wood- 
engraving — for  many  of  their  publications. 

Of  the  early  life  of  John  Catnach,  (Kat-nak),  the  father,  we 
have  little  information.  He  was  bom  in  1769,  at  Burntisland, 
a  royal  burgh  and  parish  of  Fifeshire,  Scotland,  where  his  father 
was  possessed  of  some  powder-mills.  The  family  afterwards 
removed  to  Edinburgh,  when  their  son  John  was  bound  ap- 
prentice to  his  uncle,  Sandy  Robinson,  the  printer.  After 
having  duly  served  out  his  indentures,  he  worked  for  some  short 
time  in  Edinburgh,  as  a  journeyman,  then  started  in  a  small 
business  of  his  own  in  Berwick-upon-Tweed,  where  he  married 

B 


a  THE  HISTORY  OF 

Mary  Hutchinson,  who  was  a  native  of  Dundee,  a  seaport- 
town  in  Scotland.  While  at  Berwick  a  son  and  heir,  John,  was 
born.  In  1790  they  removed  their  business  to  Alnwick,  and 
during  their  residence  there  seven  children  were  bom  to  them 
and  from  the  Register  of  Baptisms  in  St.  Michael's  Church  we 
glean  that  four  of  them  were  baptised  at  one  time,  viz.,  Sep- 
tember 24,  1797,  and  there  described  as  "of  John  Catnach, 
printer,  and  Mary  his  wife  :  Dissenter."  [?]  John  Catnach  had 
been  brought  up  in  the  Roman  Catholic  faith,  and  his  wife  as  a 
Presbyterian.  The  following  is  taken  vertabim  from  the  Parish 
Register: — 

Sept-  24,  1797. 

Margaret,  Daug"^-  of  John  Catnach,  printer,  and  Mary  his 
Wife.     Born  DeC^-  26*^,  1790.     Dissenter. 

James,  son  of  John  Catnach,  printer,  and  Mary  his  Wife. 
Bom  August  18*^,  1792.     Dissenter. 

Mary,  Daug''-  of  John  Catnach,  printer,  and  Mary  his  Wife. 
Born  February  26*,  1794.     Dissenter. 

Nancy,  Daug''-  of  John  Catnach,  printer,  and  Mary  his  Wife. 
Born  Sep''-  2K  1795.     Dissenter. 

May  23,  1798. 

Elizabeth  Catnach.  Born  March  21,  1797,  4*^  Daugnter  of 
John  Catnach,  printer,  native  of  Burnt  Island,  Shire  of  Fife,  by 
his  wife  Mary  Hutchinson,  Native  of  Dundee,  Angus  Shire, 
Scotland. 

Dec--  14,  1798. 

Isabella  Catnach.  Born  Nov*"-  2,  1798.  5^^  Daughter  of  Jn^- 
Catnach,  Stationer,  Nat.  of  Scotland,  by  his  wife,  Mary  Hutch- 
inson, Nat.  of  Dundee,  Angus  Shire,  Scotland. 


THE   CATNACH   PRESS.  3 

March  28,  1800. 

Jane  Catnach,  6^^  Daughter  of  John  Catnach,  printer,  Native 
of  Edinburgh  (sic)  by  his  wife  Mary  Hutchinson,  Native  of 
Dundee,  Scotland. 

To  the  above  we  have  to  add  that  there  were  two  sons — John, 
born  to  John  and  Mary  Catnach.  John  I.  who  was  bom  at 
Berwick-upon-Tweed,  died  August  27,  1794,  aged  5  years  and 
7  months,  and  we  find  him  duly  recorded  in  the  Register  of 
Deaths.  John  II.,  whose  name  appears  at  the  end  of  the  inscrip- 
tion on  a  tombstone  in  Alnwick  churchyard,  and  of  which 
further  mention  will  be  made  in  another  portion  of  our  work, 
died,  presumably  unbaptized,  March  5,  1803,  aged  4  months. 

John  Catnach  was  not  long  a  resident  in  the  borough  of 
Alnwick  before  he  became  acquainted  with  many  of  the  principal 
tradesmen  in  the  place.  Naturally  he  was  of  a  free-and-easy 
disposition,  and,  like  many  of  his  kinsman  on  the  Borders,  was 
particularly  fond  of  the  social  glass.  The  latter  practice  he 
allowed  to  grow  upon  him  in  such  a  way  that  it  ultimately  in- 
terfered very  much  with  his  business  prospects,  and  finally 
hastened  his  death. 

The  shop  that  he  commenced  business  in,  was  situated  in 
Narrowgate-street,  and  adjoining  the  old  Half-Moon  hostelry. 
In  gaining  access  to  the  place  one  had  to  ascend  a  flight  of 
steps.  Whilst  in  this  shop  he  secured  a  fair  amount  of  patron- 
age, and  the  specimens  of  printing  that  emanated  from  his  press 
are  of  such  a  character  as  to  testify  to  his  qualifications  and 
abilities  in  the  trade  which  he  adopted  as  his  calling.  He 
possessed  a  fond  regard  for  the  traditions  and  customs  which 
for  centuries  had  been  so  closely  associated  with  the  Border 
country. 

B  2 


4  THE  HISTORY  OF 

When  the  printing  press  was  first  introduced  into  Alnwick  is 
not  exactly  known ;  but  that  it  was  considerably  before  the  time 
of  Catnach  is  certain.  John  Vint,  the  bookseller  and  author  of 
the  "  Burradon  Ghost,"  for  several  years  used  a  press  for  printing 
purposes  in  the  town,  and  Thomas  Lindsay  carried  on  a  similar 
business  at  a  still  earlier  period. 

John  Catnach  had  a  great  relish  for  printing  such  works  as 
would  admit  of  expensive  embellishments,  which,  at  the  time  he 
commenced  business,  were  exceedingly  rare.  The  taste  he 
displayed  in  the  execution  of  his  work  will  be  best  exemplified 
in  examining  some  of  the  printed  editions  of  the  standard  works 
which  emanated  from  his  press ;  and  in  no  instance  is  this  more 
characteristically  set  forth  than  in  those  finely  printed  books 
which  are  so  beautifully  illustrated  by  the  masterly  hand  of 
Thomas  Bewick  and  his  accomplished  and  talented  pupil,  Luke 
Clennell.     Notably  among  which  are : — 

I . — "The  Beauties  of  Natural  History.  Selected  from  BufFon's 
History  of  Quadrupeds,  &c.  Alnwick :  J.  Catnach,  [n.  d.] 
Circa  1790,  i2mo.,  pp.  92.  With  67  cuts  by  Bewick.'' — Another 
edition.  Published  and  Sold  by  the  Booksellers.  By  Wilson 
and  Spence,  York,  and  J.  Catnach,  printer,  Alnwick.  (Price 
i^.  dd.  sewed,  or  2$,  half-bound.)  [n.  d.]     Circa  1795. 

The  embellishments  of  "  The  Beauties  of  Natural  History  " 
form  an  unique  and  valuable  collection.  They  are  very  small 
and  were  done  at  an  exceedingly  low  price,  yet  every  bird  and 
animal  is  exquisitely  brought  out  in  the  minutest  detail ;  whilst 
many  of  the  illustrations  which  served  as  "  tail  pieces  "  are  gems 
of  art. 

2. — "  Poems  by  Percival  Stockdale.  With  cuts  by  Thomas 
Bewick.     Alnwick :  printed  by  J.  Catnach.     1800." 


THE    CATNACH   PRESS.  5 

3. — "The  Hermit  of  Warkworth.  A  Northumberland  Ballad. 
In  three  Fits.  By  Dr.  Thos.  Percy,  Bishop  of  Dromore. 
With  Designs  by  Mr.  Craig ;  and  Engraved  on  Wood  by  Mr. 
Bewick.  Alnwick  :  Printed  and  Sold  by  J.  Catnach.  Sold  by 
Lackington,  Allen,  and  Co.,  London;  Constable  and  Co., 
Edinburgh ;  and  Hodgson,  Newcastle.  1806."  The  Arms  of 
the  Duke  of  Northumberland  precedes  the  Dedication,  thus  : — 


TO   HER  GRACE 

FRANCES    JULIA, 

Duchess    of    Northumberland, 

This  Edition  of 

The  Hermit  of  Warkworth, 

Is  respectfully  Inscribed 

By  Her  Grace's  Obliged  and  Humble  Servant, 

J.  Catnach 

Alnwick,  October,  1805. 

4- — "  A  Second  Edition  ;  of  which  a  few  copies  were  printed 
on  extra  thick  paper,  royal  8vo.,  to  match  with  some  of  his  other 


6  THE   HISTORY   OF 

works,  illustrated  by  Bewick,  pp.  xiv.,  182,  with  13  cuts.  At 
the  end  of  the  Poem  are  a  Postcript,  a  Description  of  the 
Hermitage  of  Warkworth,  Warkworth  Castle,  Alnwick  Castle, 
Alnwick  Abbey,  and  A  Descriptive  Ride  in  Hulne  Park, 
Alnwick  :  Printed  and  Sold  by  J.  Catnach.  Sold  by  Wilson  and 
Spence,  York.     1807. 


THE  HERMIT  OF  WARKWORTH. 


"  And  now,  attended  by  their  host, 
The  hermitage  they  view'd." 


THE  CATNACH   PRESS. 


With  hospitable  haste  he  rose, 
And  wak'd  his  sleeping  fire  : 

And  snatching  up  a  lighted  brand, 
Forth  hied  the  reverend  sire. 


5^  .K^.^ 


8  THE   HISTORY  OF 

He  fought  till  more  assistance  came ; 

The  Scots  were  overthrown  j 
Thus  freed  me,  captive,  from  their  bands, 

To  make  me  more  his  own. 

The  illustrations  of  "  The  Hermit  of  Warkworth  "  are,  upon 
the  whole,  very  creditable,  and  are  well  calculated  to  enhance 
the  value  of  the  book,  but  as  works  of  art  some  few  of  them  fall 
far  short  of  many  of  Craig  or  Bewick's  other  productions. 

John  Catnach  also  printed  and  published  a  series  of  Juvenile 
Works,  as  *'  The  Royal  Play  Book  :  or,  Children's  Friend.  A 
Present  for  Little  Masters  and  Misses."  "  The  Death  and  Burial 
of  Cock  Robin,  &c.  Adorned  with  Cuts. — Which  in  many 
cases  were  the  early  productions  of  Thomas  Bewick. — Alnwick : 
Sold  Wholesale  and  Retail  by  J.  Catnach,  at  his  Toy-Book 
Manufactory." 


^mm^ 


ATNACBL 


^PRINTER^    ,1 


THE   CATNACH   PRESS.  9 

In  the  year  1807,  John  Catnach  took  an  apprentice — a  lad 
named  Mark  Smith,  of  whom  more  anon ;  a  few  months  after- 
wards he  entered  into  partnership  with  a  Mr.  William  Davison, 
who  was  a  native  of  Ponteland,  in  the  county  of  Nor- 
thumberland, but  he  duly  served  his  apprenticeship  as  a 
chemist  and  druggist  to  Mr.  Hind,  of  Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 
and  for  whom  he  ever  cherished  a  fond  regard.  The  union 
was  not  of  long  duration — certainly  under  two  years — but  it 
is  very  remarkable  that  two  such  men  should  have  been  brought 
together,  for  experience  has  shown  that  they  were  both  morally 
and  socially,  the  very  opposite  of  each  other. 

During  the  partnership:  Mr.  Davison  held  his  business  of 
chemist,  &c.,  in  Bondgate-street ;  while  the  printing  and  pub- 
lishing continued  at  Narrowgate-street,  and  among  the  works 
published  by  the  firm  of  Catnach  and  Davison  we  may 
record : — 

"  The  Minstrel ;  or.  The  Progress  of  Genuis.  In  Two  Parts. 
With  some  other  Poems.  By  James  Beattie,  LL.D.  With 
sixteen  Cuts  from  Designs  by  Mr.  Thurston ;  and  engraved  on 
Wood  by  Mr.  Clennel,  Almvick.  Printed  by  Catnach  and 
Davison.  Sold  by  the  Booksellers  in  England  and  Scotland. 
1807.     1 2 mo.  and  Royal  8vo.,  pp  142." 

"The  Grave.  A  Poem.  By  Robert  Blair.  To  which  is 
added  Gray's  Elegy.  In  a  Country  Church  Yard.  With  Notes 
Moral  and  Explanatory.  Alnwick  :  Printed  by  Catnach  and 
Davison.  Sold  by  the  Booksellers  in  England,  Scotland,  and 
Ireland.  1808.  T2mo.,  pp.  xiv.,  72.  With  a  frontispiece  and 
other  cuts  by  Thomas  Bewick." 


lO 


THE   HISTORY  OF 


T.  Bewick. 


THE  GRAVE. 


*'  Prone,  on  the  lowly  grave  of  the  dear  man 
She  drops ;  whilst  busy  meddling  Memory, 
In  barbarous  succession,  musters  up 
The  past  endearments  of  their  softer  hours 
Tenacious  of  its  theme." 


THE  CATNACH   PRESS. 


II 


After  the  dissolution  of  the  strange  partnership,  Mr.  Davison 
still  prosecuted  with  vigour  the  several  departments  of  the 
business ;  for  although  reared  to  the  prescribing  of  physics,  he 
had  a  fine  taste  and  relish  for  the  book  trade,  and  the  short 
time  that  he  was  with  Catnach  enabled  him  to  acquire  a  good 
amount  of  valuable  information  on  this  subject.  Be  this  as  it 
may,  he  soon  laid  the  basis  of  a  large  and  lucrative  business. 
About  the  first  work  Mr.  Davison  issued  on  his  o^vn  account 
was : — 


The  Repository  of  Select  Literature. 

Being  an  Elegant  Assemblage  of  Curious,  Scarce,  Entertain- 
ing and  Instructive  Pieces  in  Prose  and  Verse.  Adorned  with 
beautiful  Engravings  by  Bewick,  &c.  Alnwick :  Printed  by  W. 
Davison.  Sold  by  the  Booksellers  in  England  and  Scotland. 
1808. 

c  2 


12 


THE   HISTORY  OF 


This  work  is  a  fine  specimen  of  provincial  book-printing ;  its 
pages  are  adorned  with  some  of  Bewick's  excellent  cuts.  There 
is  one  that  we  would  particularly  refer  to,  and  that  is  "  Shepherd 
Lubin."  In  size  it  is  very  small,  but,  like  most  of  Bewick's  \ 
pieces,  sufficiently  large  to  show  the  inimitable  skill  of  the  artist. 
The  picture  tells  its  own  tale  : — 

**  Young  Lubin  was  a  shepherd's  boy, 
Who  watched  a  rigid  master's  sheep, 
And  many  a  night  was  heard  to  sigh, 
And  may  a  day  was  seen  to  weep." 


And  for  whole  days  would  wander  in  those  places  sh^  had  been  used  to 
walk  with  Henry. 

"  The  History  of  Crazy  Jane,  by  Sarah  Wilkinson,  with  a 
frontispiece  by  Bewick  :  Alnwick.  Printed  by  W.  Davison ;  and 
Sold  by  all  the  Principal  Booksellers  in  England  and  Scotland.  1 8 1 3. " 


THE  CATNACH   PRESS. 


13 


"Willie  Brkw'd  a  Peck  o'Maut." 

"  The  Poetical  Works  of  Robert  Burns.  Engravings  on 
Wood  by  Bewick,  from  designs  by  Thurston.  Alnwick  :  Printed 
by  Catnach  and  Davison,  1808."  And  London  :  Printed  for 
T.  Cadell  and  Davis,  Strand,  181 4.  With  cuts  previously  used 
in  Davison's  publications. 


"Many  ot  the  engravings  produced  for  Burns'  Poems,  are 
of  a  very  superior  class,  and  cannot  be  too  highly  com- 
mended."— Hugo. 


14 


THE  HISTORY  OF 


*'Sandie  and  Willie.' 


"  The  Poetical  Works  of  Robert  Ferguson,  with  his  Life. 
Engravings  on  Wood  by  Bewick.  Alnwick  :  Printed  by  W. 
Davison." 

Mr.  Davison,  following  up  the  actions  of  his  former  partner, 
had  a  great  regard  for  the  standard  poets.  Previous  to  the 
issuing  of  the  poems  of  Ferguson  they  had  tried  to  imbue  a 
better  taste  into. the  minds  of  the  general  reader,  by  means  of 
publishing  nothing  but  what  was  of  an  elevating  character.  And 
this  will  be  seen  by  examining  such  works  as  Buffon,  Beattie, 
Percy,  Bums,  &c.  Almost  simultaneously  with  the  poems  of 
Burns  appeared  those  of  Ferguson.  Both  works  are  uniform 
in  size  and  price — viz:  2  vols,  Foolscap  8vo. — 12s.  in  boards ; 
they  contain  some  of  Bewick's  choicest  and  most  exquisite 
wood-engravings. 


THE  CATNACH  PRESS.  1 5 

**  The  Northumberland  Minstrel :  A  Choice  Selection  of 
Songs,     Alnwick :  Printed  by  W.  Davison." 

There  were  only  three  numbers  of  this  work  published,"^  each 
of  which  contained  48  pages.  The  object  of  this  undertaking 
was  for  the  carrying  out  a  project  which  at  that  time  was  be- 
coming very  popular,  and  consisted  in  bringing  together  in  a 
collected  form  some  of  the  best  and  most  admired  of  our  ballad- 
poetry.  In  fact,  the  object  Mr.  Davison  had  in  view  was  only 
to  extend  what  had  been  so  successfully  accomplished  by  Herd, 
Ramsay,  Motherwell,  Ritson,  and  others. 

Mr.  Davison  continued  in  business  at  Alnwick  up  to  the  time 
of  his  death,  in  1858,  at  the  ripe  age  of  77.  He  was  by  far  the 
most  enterprising  printer  that  had  settled  in  the  North  of 
England.  His  collection  of  wood  blocks  was  very  large,  and  it 
is  hardly  possible  to  form  an  adequate  conception  of  the  many 
hundreds  of  beautiful  specimens  which  he  possessed.  He  stated 
that  he  had  paid  Thomas  Bewick  upwards  of  five  hundred 
pounds  for  various  woodcut  blocks.  With  a  view  of  disposing 
of  some  of  his  surplus  stock,  he  printed  and  published  in  4to.,  a 
catalogue  : — "  New  Specimens  of  Cast-Metal  Ornaments 
AND  Wood  Types,  Sold  by  W.  Davison.  Alnwick.  With 
impressions  of  i,ioo  Cast  Ornaments  and  Wood  Blocks,  many 
of  the  latter  executed  by  Thomas  Bewick."  This  Catalogue — now 
exceedingly  rare — is  of  the  greatest  interest  and  utility,  as  it 
embraces  a  series  of  cuts  dispersed,  as  Mr.  Hugo  plainly  shows, 
among  a  considerable  number  of  publications,  and  enables  those 
who  collect  Bewick's  pieces  to  detect  the  hand  of  the  Artist  in 
many  of  his  less  elaborated  productions. 

*  Mr.  George  Skelly— ^/«wzV/^. 


1 6  THE   HISTORY  OF 

Those  of  our  readers  who  desire  more  information  as  to  the 
many  books  printed  by  W.  Davison,  the  Alnwick  publisher,  are 
referred  to  "The  Bewick  Collector,"  and  the  Supplement 
thereto,  by  the  Rev.  Thomas  Hugo,  M.A.,  &c.  London: 
1866 — 68.  These  volumes,  illustrated  by  upwards  of  two 
hundred  and  ninety  cuts,  comprise  an  elaborate  descriptive  list 
of  the  most  complete  collection  yet  formed  of  the  works  of  the 
renowned  wood-engravers  of  Newcastle-upon-Tyne.  Not  only 
10  Bewick  collectors,  but  to  all  persons  interested  in  the  progress 
of  Art,  and  especially  of  wood-engraving,  these  volumes,  exhibit- 
ing chronologically  the  works  of  the  Fathers  of  that  Art  in 
England,  caimot  fail  to  be  of  the  highest  interest 

Mr.  Davison  printed  and  published  a  series  of  Halfpenny 
Books ;  they  are  not  only  well  printed,  but  in  addition  to  this 
it  is  not  unusual  to  see  them  illustrated  by  some  of  Thomas 
Bewick's  choicest  engravings.  Mr.  Hugo  possessed  twenty- 
seven  in  number,  the  titles  of  which  he  enumerates  in  his 
"  Bewick  Collector"  and  the  Supplement  thereto  :  adding  the 
remarks  that  follow  : — 

"The  cuts  in  these  little  publications  are  for  the  most  part  the  same  which 
were  used  by  Davison  in  the  other  and  more  important  works  which 
issued  from  his  press.  The  volumes  are  in  32mo,  and  in  typogra- 
phical excellence  are  far  in  advance  of  all  other  children's  books  of 
the  period  of  their  publication  with  which  I  am  acquainted." 

Herewith  we  publish  one  of  the  series  from  our  own  private 
collection.  The  justness  of  Mr.  Hugo's  opinion  will  be  at  once 
seen. 


Alnwick  : 
Published  and  Sold  by  W.  Davison. 

Price  One  Halfpenny ^ 


l8  -  THE  HISTORY  OF 


a  b  c  d  e 
f  g  h  i  j  k 
1  m  no  p 
q  r  s  t  u  V 
w    X     y    z    & 


THE  CATNACH  PRESS. 


19 


THE 

GUESS  BOOK. 


THE  MOON. 

There  was  a  thing  a  full  month  old, 
When  Adam  was  no  more  ; 

But  ere  that  thing  was  five  weeks  old, 
Adam  y/as  years  five  score. 


D  2 


20 


THE  HISTORY  OF 


Guess  Book. 


A  CAT. 


In  almost  every  house  I'm  seen, 
(No  wonder  then  I'm  common), 

I'm  neither  man,  nor  maid,  nor  child, 
Nor  yet  a  married  woman. 


THE  CATNACH  PRESS. 


21 


Guess  Book. 


A  CANNON. 


I  am  the  terror  of  mankind, 

My  breath  is  flame,  and  by  its  power 
I  urge  my  messenger  to  find 

A  way  into  the  strongest  tower.  ; 


22 


THE  HISTORY  OF 


Guess  Book. 


AN  OWL. 


My  patron  is  Wisdom — if  Wisdom  you  prize, 
In  me  put  your  confidence,  borrow  my  eyes. 
Who  into  a  mill-stone  can  see  quite  as  far 
As  the  best  of  you  all,  by  the  light  of  a  star. 


THfi  CATNACH  PRESS. 


23 


Guess  Book. 


A  TOP. 


I  ne'er  offend  thee, 
Yet  thou  dost  me  whip, 
Which  don't  amend  me, 
Though  I  dance  and  skip ; 
When  I'm  upright, 
Me  you  always  like  best. 
And  barbarously  whip  me 
When  I  want  rest. 


24 


THE  HISTORY  OF 


Guess  Book. 


BOOKS. 


With  words  unnumber'd  I  abound ; 

In  me  mankind  do  take  delight ; 
In  me  much  learning's  to  be  found ; 

Yet  I  can  neither  read  nor  write. 


THE  CATNACH  PRESS.  2$ 


9 

Guess  Book, 


A  DRUM. 

My  sides  are  firmly 

Lac'd  about, 

Yet  nothing  is  within  : 

You'll  think  my  head 

Is  strange  indeed, 

Being  nothing  else  but  skin. 


26 


THE  HISTORY  OF 


lO 


Guess  Book. 


A  SAND-GLASS. 


Made  of  two  bodies  join'd, 
Without  foot  or  hand  ; 
And  yet  you  will  find 
I  can  both  run  and  stand. 


THE  CATNACH  PRESS. 


27 


II 

Guess  Book. 


TIME. 

Ever  eating,  never  cloying, 
All  devouring,  all  destroying, 
Never  finding  full  repast 
Till  1  eat  the  world  at  last. 


£  2 


THE  HISTORY  OF 


12 


Guess  Book. 


DEATH. 


The  gate  of  life,  the  cause  of  strife, 

The  fruit  of  sin, 
When  I  appear,  you  drop  a  tear. 

And  stay  within. 


THE  CATNACH  PRESS. 


29 


13 

Guess  Book. 


A  PAIR  OF  SHOES. 


To  rich  and  poor 
We  useful  are  ; 
And  yet  for  our  reward, 
By  both  at  last 
We're  thrown  away, 
Without  the  least  regard. 


30 


THE  HISTORY  OF 


14 

Guess  Book, 


A  SQUIRREL. 

I  am  a  busy  active  creature, 
Fashion'd  for  the  sport  of  nature, 
Nimbly  skip  from  tree  to  tree, 
Under  a  well-wrought  canopy ;  '- 
Bid  Chloe  then  to  Mira  tell 
What's  my  name  and  where  I  dwell 


THE  CATNACH  PRESS.  3 1 


15 

Guess  Book. 


A  FISH. 

Though  it  be  cold  I  wear  no  clothes, 
,     The  frost  and  snow  I  never  fear ; 
I  value  neither  shoes  nor  hose, 
And  yet  I  wander  far  and  near. 


THE    CATNACH    PRESS. 


33 


oy^^^  /^^jc/xt^x^^j^^^ 


AT 

Newcastle. 


**  There  is  no  fooling  with  Life,  when  it  is  once  turned  forty :  the 
seeking  of  a  Fortune  then  is  but  a  desperate  after-game  :  it  is  a  hundred 
to  one  if  a  man  fling  three  sixes,  and  recover  all ;  if  his  hand  be  no  luckier 
than  mine." — Cowley. 

In  or  about  the  latter  part  of  the  year  1808,  John  Catnach, 
with  his  wife  and  family,  left  Abwick  for  Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 

F 


34  THE   HISTORY    OF 

and  commenced  business  in  a  small  shop  in  Newgate-street,  and 
among  other  Works  which  he  printed  there,  mention  may  be 
made  of  "  The  Battle  of  Chevy  Chase,"  a  selection  from  the 
works  of  *'  Dr.  Samuel  Johnson,  in  two  volumes,"  and  "  The 
Life  of  John  Thompson,  Mariner.  Written  by  Himself :  Also, 
his  Divine  Selections,  in  Prose  and  Verse.  From  esteemed 
Authors.  Embellished  with  steel  Engravings.  Newcastle : 
Printed  for  the  Author.  By  J.  Catnach,  Newgate-street.  1810. 
1 2mo.,  pp.  Ixxvi.,  214.    With  two  tail  pieces  by  Thomas  Bewick." 

John  Thompson,  alias  Godfried  Thomas  Leschinsky,  born  at 
Riga,  1782,  was  a  seaman.  He  sailed  with  Nelson's  fleet  to 
Copenhagen,  1801.  Continuing  at  sea  he  endured  many  hard- 
ships from  severe  accidents  and  ill  health,  and  was  at  length 
discharged  as  not  being  fit  for  his  Majesty's  service.  In  1806, 
while  in  the  Infirmary  at  Newcastle,  one  of  his  legs — from  old 
injuries,  rapidly  mortified  and  had  to  be  amputated.  Subse- 
quently, in  consequence  of  the  bones  and  joints  of  his  right  hand 
decaying,  his  arm  was  taken  off  below  the  elbow.  He  for  years 
made  a  living  out  of  his  misfortunes  and  assumed  piety.  Catnach 
was  induced,  by  specious  reasoning,  to  undertake  the  printing  of 
the  book,  but  the  eleemosynary  author  dying  just  as  it  was 
all  worked  off  but  not  bound,  he  had  the  whole  of  the  stock 
thrown  on  his  hands  to  do  the  best  he  could  with.  There  were 
between  fifty  and  sixty  claims  set  up  by  persons  who  averred 
that  they  had  in  part,  or  whole,  paid  for  a  copy  each  to  the 
author  on  signing  his  subscription  list,  and  most  of  these  claims 
were  allowed  on  the  payment  of  sixpence  extra  :  the  work  was 
subscribed  for  at  3s.  6d.,  but  being  extended  to  20  pages  more 
than  was  expected,  the  price  was  advanced  to  4s. 


THE   CATNACH   PRESS.  35 

John  Catnach,  at  Newcastle,  worked  attentively  for  awhile, 
but  without  finding  his  expectations  realised.  Alas  !  time  and 
the  change  of  scene  and  companions  had  not  improved  the  man. 
He  contrived  to  get  into  a  great  amount  of  debt,  without  the 
least  possible  chance,  from  his  irregular  mode  of  living,  of  Jpeing 
able  to  pay  it  off.  Eventually,  he  made  up  his  mind  for  the 
worst,  and  the  downward  course  would  seem  to  have  been  the 
only  way  open  to  him.  From  bad  to  worse,  and  from  one 
extreme  to  the  other,  he  rapidly  drifted.  The  loose  and  irre- 
gular manner  in  which  he  had  existed  was  beginning  to  tell 
upon  his  constitution.  His  business  had  been  neglected,  and 
his  adventures  were  nearly  at  a  climax.  The  wreck  came,  with 
a  terrific  blow ;  but  it  was  not  unlooked  for.  Poor  Catnach  was 
a  bankrupt,  and  as  such  sent  to  the  debtor's  gaol.  But  just 
before,  he  had  managed  to  send  his  wife  and  daughters  to 
London,  together  with  a  wooden  printing  press,  some  small 
quantity  of  type,  and  other  articles  of  his  trade  that  could  be 
hurriedly  and  clandestinely  got  together. 

During  the  five  years'  residence  of  John  and  Mary  Catnach  in 
Newcastle,  they  had  one  child,  Isabella,  burned  to  death,  and 
another,  Julia  Dalton,  born  to  them. 

Mr.  Mark  Smith,  who  had  been  bound  apprentice  to  John 
Catnach,  but  by  reason  of  whose  removal  from  the  Borough  of 
Alnwick,  the  indentures  had  been  rendered  void,  was  then  in 
London,  serving  out  his  time  as  a  turnover  and  improver  with 
Mr.  John  Walker,  of  Paternoster  Row,  and  on  being  made 
acquainted  with  the  arrival  of  Mrs.  Catnach  and  her  family, 
paid  them  a  visit  at  their  lodgings  in  a  court  leading  ofi"  Drury- 
lane,  and  assisted  in  putting  up  the  press  and  arranging  the 
other  few  matters  and  utensils  in  connection  with  their  tiny 

F  2 


36  THE   HISTORY   OF 

printing  office,  there  to  await  John  Catnach's  release  from  prison 
and  arrival  in  the  metropolis. 

London  life  to  John  Catnach  proved  very  disastrous,  mat- 
ters never  went  smoothly  witli  him.  It  was  evident  to  all  his 
friends  that  he  had  made  a  great  mistake  in  leaving  the  North 
of  England.  Mr.  Mark  Smith  continued  to  visit  the  family  as 
opportunities  presented  themselves.  On  one  occasion  he  found 
them  in  extremely  distressed  circumstances,  so  much  so,  that  he 
had  to  afford  them  some  temporary  relief  from  his  slender 
earnings  and  then  left  the  northern  sojourners  for  the  night, 
promising  that  he  would  return  to  see  them  at  an  early  date. 
Anxious  to  learn  how  they  were  succeeding  in  the  crowded 
metropolis,  it  was  not  many  days  before  he  again  visited  them, 
but  this  time  he  found  them  in  a  sorry  plight ;  the  landlady  had 
distrained  upon  their  all  for  arrears  of  rent.  This  was  an 
awkward  predicament;  but  the  indomitable  young  Northum- 
brian, like  the  more  burly  Dr.  Johnson  of  old,  when  his  friend 
Oliver  Goldsmith  was  similarly  situated,  resolved  to  do  all  he 
could  to  rescue  him  from  the  peril  in  which  he  was  placed. 
Not  being  prepared  for  a  case  of  such  pressing  emergency,  the 
full  debt  and  costs  being  demanded,  he  was  compelled  to 
borrow  the  required  amount  of  Mr.  Matthew  Willoughby,  a 
native  and  freeman  of  the  Borough  of  Alnwick,  then  residing 
in  London,  and  once  more  his  old  master  was  free. 

John  Catnach  then  removed  his  business  to  a  front  shop  in 
Soho,  when,  in  the  absence  of  work  of  a  higher  class,  he  had  to 
resort  to  printing  quarter-sheet  ballads,  here  is  the  title  and 
imprint  of  one  example : — 


THE   CATNACH   PRESS.  37 


Tom  Starboard  and  Faithful  Nancy. 

Tom  Starboard  was  a  lover  true, 
As  brave  a  tar  as  ever  sail'd  ; 
The  duties  ablest  seamen  do 
Tom  did,  and  never  had  fail'd. 
♦  ♦  -K-  *  * 

London. — Printed  by  J.  Catnach,  and  Sold  Wholesale  and 
Retail  at  No.  60,  Wardour-street,  Soho-square. 

For  his  wife  and  family  he  took  apartments  in  Charlotte  Street, 
Fitzroy-square.  Again  he  shortly  removed  his  business  to 
Gerrard-street,  where  he  had  hardly  got  his  plant  into  working 
order,  when  on  returning  home  on  the  evening  of  the  29th  of 
August,  1813,  he  had  the  misfortune  to  fall  down  and  injure  his 
leg.  He  was  immediately  taken  to  St.  George's  Hospital,  Hyde- 
park  Corner,  when  rheumatic  fever  supervened,  and  although 
placed  under  the  skilfuf  treatment  of  Dr.  Young,  he  never 
raUied,  his  constitution  being  completely  broken,  but  by  means 
'^f  superior  medical  treatment  and  good  nursing  he  lingered 
until  the  4th  of  December  in  the  same  year,  on  which  day  he 
died. 


38  THE   HISTORY    OF 

Such  is  a  brief  resume  of  the  latter  years  of  John  Catnach's 
life.  It  is  apparent  that,  by  a  little  application  and  self-denial, 
.this  man  might  have  made  for  himself  a  name  and  position  in 
the  world.  He  possessed  all  the  necessary  talents  for  bringing 
success  within  his  reach.  The  ground  which  he  took  is  the 
same  which  in  after  years  proved  to  be  of  inestimable  value  to 
hundreds  of  publishers  who  never  possessed  half  the  amount  of 
ability  and  good  taste  in  printing  and  embellishing  books  that 
was  centred  in  him. 

After  his  death,  and  just  at  the  time  when  his  widow  and 
daughters  were  sunk  in  the  greatest  poverty,  his  son  James,  who 
in  after  years  became  so  noted  in  street  literature  publications, 
made  his  way  to  the  metropolis.  It  appears  that  this  extraor- 
dinary man  at  one  time  contemplated  devoting  his  life  to  rural 
pursuits ;  in  fact,  when  a  youth  he  served  for  some  time  as  a 
shepherd  boy,  quite  contrary  to  the  wish  and  desire  of  his 
parents.  Every  opportunity  he  could  get  he  would  run  away, 
far  across  the  moors  and  over  the  Northumbrian  mountains,  and, 
always  accompanied  with  his  favourite  dog  Venus,  and  a  com- 
mon-place book,  in  which  he  jotted  down  in  rhymes  and  chymes 
his  notions  of  a  pastoral  life."^  Thus  he  would  stay  away  from 
home  for  days  and  nights  together. 

*  At  an  interview  which  we  had  in  1877  with 


Nee.  Elizabeth  Catnach,  the  last  survivor  of  the  family  of  John  and  Mary 
Catnach,  she  informed  us  that  the  MS.  book  alluded  to  above,  remained 
in  the  family  for  many  years,  andjwas  last  known  to  be  in  the  possession 
of  the  sister  Mary— Mrs.  Haines,  of  Gosport,  to  the  date  of  about  1863. 


THE   CATNACH    PRESS. 


39 


This  project,  however,  was  abandoned,  and  he  commenced  to 
serve  as  a  printer  in  the  employment  of  his  father.  It  is  rather 
remarkable  that  he  and  Mr.  Mark  Smith 

were  both  bound  on  the  same  day  as  apprentices  to  Mr.  John 
Catnach,  and  that  they  afterwards  worked  together  as  "im- 
provers "  in  their  trade  with  : — 


Joseph  Grahaniy  Printer^  Alnivick. 


Mr.  Hugo,  in  the  Supplement  to  his  "  Bewick  Collector,"  pp. 
256  (5137),  says: — "This  very  beautiful  Cut  was  done  by 
Thomas  Bewick,  sometime  about  the  year  1794,  for  a  well- 
known  Alnwick  printer." 


40  THE    HISTORY   OF 


^50a'-9^V£--^ 


''Death  made  no  conquest  of  this  man, 
For  now  he  lives  in  fame,  though  not  in  life. " 

At  the  time  James — or,  as  he  afterwards  was  popularly  called 
"  yemmy^^  or,  "  Old  yemmy  "  Catnach  commenced  business  in 
Seven  Dials  it  took  all  the  prudence  and  tact  which  he  could 
command  to  maintain  his  position,  as  at  that  time  "  Johnny  " 
Pitts,*  of  the  Toy  and  Marble  Warehouse,  No.  6,  Great  St. 
Andrew  street,  was  the  acknowledged  and  established  printer  of 
street  literature  for  the  "  Dials  "  district ;  therefore,  as  may  be 
easily  imagined,  a  powerful  rivalry  and  vindictive  jealousy  soon 
arose  between  these  "  two  of  a  trade  " — most  especially  on  the 
part  of  "  Old  Mother  "  Pitts,  who  is  described  as  being  a  coarse 
and  vulgar- minded  personage,  and  as  having  originally  followed 
the  trade  of  a  bumboat  woman  at  Portsmouth:  she  "wowed 
wengeance  "  against  the  young  fellow  in  the  court  for  daring  to 
set  up  in  their  business,  and  also  spoke  of  him  as  a  young 
"  Catsnatch,"  "  Catblock,"  "  Cut-throat,"  and  many  other  op- 
probrious terms  which  were  freely  given  to  the  new  comer.  Pitts' 
staff  of  "  bards  "  were  duly  cautioned  of  the  conseqences  which 
would  inevitably  follow  should  they  dare  to  write  a  line  for 
Catnach — the  new  cove  up  the  court.  The  injunction  was  for  a 
time  obeyed,  but  the  "  Seven  Bards  of  the  Seven  Dials  "  soon 
found  it  not  only  convenient,  but  also  more  profitable  to  sell 

*■  Pitts,  a  modern  publisher  of  love  garlands,  merriments,  penny  ballads, 

"  Who,  ere  he  went  to  heaven, 
Domiciled  in  Dials  Seven !  " — 

G.  Daniel's  "  Democritus  in  London." 


THE   CATNACH   PRESS.  4 1 

copies  of  their  effusions  to  both  sides  at  the  same  time,  and  by 
keeping  their  own  counsel  they  avoided  detection,  as  each 
printer  accused  the  other  of  obtaining  an  early  sold  copy,  and 
then  reprinting  it  with  the  utmost  speed,  which  was  in 
reality  often  the  case,  as  "  Both  Houses  "  had  emissaries  on  the 
constant  look-out  for  any  new  production  suitable  for  street-sale. 
Now,  although  this  style  of  "double  dealing"  and  competition 
tended  much  to  lessen  the  cost  price  to  the  "  middle-man/'  or 
vendor,  the  public  in  this  case  did  not  get  any  of  the  reduction, 
as  a  penny  broadside  was  still  a  penny,  and  a  quarter-sheet  still 
a  halfpenny  to  them,  the  "  street  patterer ''  obtaining  the  whole 
of  the  reduction  as  extra  profit. 

The  feud  existing  between  these  rival  publishers,  who  have 
been  somewhat  aptly  designated  as  the  Colbum  and  Bentley  of 
the  "paper"  trade,  never  abated, but,  on  the  contrary,  increased 
in  acrimony  of  temper,  until  at  last  not  being  content  to  vilify 
each  other  by  "  Words  !  words!!  words!!!"  alone,  they  resorted 
to  printing  off  virulent  lampoons,  in  which  Catnach  never 
failed  to  let  the  world  know  that  "  Old  Mother  Pitts  "  had  been 
formerly  a  bumboat  woman,  while  the  Pitt's  party  announced 
that  :— 

"  All  the  boys  and  girls  around, 

Who  go  out  prigging  rags  and  phials, 
Know  Jemmy  Catsnaich ! ! !  well, 

Who  lives  in  a  back  slum  in  the  Dials. 
He  hangs  out  in  Monmouth  Court, 

And  wears  a  pair  of  blue-black  breeches. 
Where  all  the  "Polly  Cox's  crew "  do  resort 

To  cliop  their  swag  for  badly  printed  Dying  Speeches.'* 

But  however,  in  spite  of  all  the  opposition  and  trade  rivahy, 
Catnach  persevered ;  he  worked  hard,  and  lived  hard,  and  was 

G 


42  THE    HISTORY   OF 

.  fitted  to  the  stirring  times.  The  Peninsular  wars  had  just  con- 
cluded, politics  and  party  strife  ran  high,  squibs,  lampoons,  and 
political  ballads  were  the  order  of  the  day,  and  he  made  money. 
But  he  had  weighty  pecuniary  family  matters  to  bear  up  with, 
as  thus  early  in  his  career,  his  father's  sister  also  joined  them, 
and  they  all  lived  and  huddled  together  in  the  shop  and  parlour 
of  No.  2,  Monmouth-court.  He  did  a  small  and  very  humble 
trade  as  a  jobbing  master,  printing  and  publishing  penny 
histories,  street-papers,  and  halfpenny  songs,  relying  for  their 
composition  on  one  or  two  out  of  the  known  *'  Seven  Bards  of 
the  Seven  Dials,"  and  when  they  were  on  the  drink,  or  otherwise 
not  inclined  to  work,  being  driven  to  write  and  invent  them 
himself. 

The  customers  who  frequented  his  place  of  business  were  for 
the  most  part  of  the  lowest  grades  of  society : — those  who  by 
folly,  intemperance,  and  crime,  had  been  reduced  to  the  greatest 
penury.  Anyone  with  a  few  coppers  in  his  pockets  could  easily 
knock  out  an  existence,  especially  when  anything  sensational 
was  in  the  wind. 

The  great  excitement  throughout  the  country  caused  by  the 
melancholy  death  of  the  Princess  Charlotte,  on  the  sixth  day  of 
November,  1817,  was  an  event  of  no  ordinary  description.  It 
was,  indeed,  a  most  unexpected  blow,  the  shining  virtues,  as  well 
as  the  youth  and  beauty  of  the  deceased,  excited  an  amount  of 
affectionate  commiseration,  such  as  probably  had  never  before 
attended  the  death  of  any  royal  personage  in  England. 

The  Seven  Dials  Press  was  busily  engaged  in  working  off 
"  papers  "  descriptive  of  every  fact  that  could  be  gleaned  from 
the  newspapers,  and  that  was  suitable  for  street  sale.  Catnach 
was  not  behind  his  compeers,  as  he  published  several  statements 


THE    CATNACH    PRESS.  43 

in  respect  to  the  Princess's  death,  and  made  the  following  lines 

out  of  his  own  head!    And  had,  continued  our  informant — a 

professional  street-ballad  writer — "  wood  enough  left  for  as  many 

more  " : — 

"She  is  gone !  sweet  Charlotte's  gone  ! 
Gone  to  the  silent  bourne  ; 
She  is  gone,  She's  gone,  for  evermore, — 
She  never  can  return. 

She  is  gone  with  her  joy — her  darling  Boy, 
The  son  of  Leopold,  blythe  and  keen ; 

She  Died  the  sixth  of  November, 
Eighteen  hundred  and  seventeen." 

The  year  1818,  proved  a  disastrous  one  to  Catnach,  as  in 
addition  to  the  extra  burden  entailed  on  him  in  family  matters, 
he  had,  in  the  way  of  his  trade,  printed  a  street-paper  reflecting 
on  the  private  character  and  on  the  materials  used  in  the  manu- 
facture of  the  sausages  as  sold  by  the  pork  butchers  of  the 
Drury-lane  quarter  in  general,  and  particularly  by  Mr.  Pizzey, 
a  tradesman  carrying  on  business  in  Blackmore-street,  Clare- 
market,  who  caused  him  to  be  summoned  to  the  Bow-street 
Police  Court  to  answer  the  charge  of  malicious  libel,  when  he 
was  committed  to  take  his  trial  at  the  next  Clerkenwell  Sessions, 
by  Sir  Richard  Bumie,  where  he  was  sentenced  to  six  months' 
imprisonment  in  the  House  of  Correction,  at  Clerkenwell,  in  the 
County  of  Middlesex. 

During  Catnach's  incarceration  his  mother  and  sisters,  aided  by 

one  of  the  Seven  Dials  bards,  carried  on  the  business,  writing 
and  printing  off  all  the  squibs  and  street  ballads  that  were 
required.  In  the  meanwhile  the  Johnny  Pitts'  crew  printed 
several  -lampoons    on  "Jemmy  Catnach."      Subjoined    is    a 

G  2 


44  THE    HISTORY   OF 

portion  of  one  of  them  that  has  reached  us,  viva  voce^  of  the 
aforesaid — John  Morgan — professional  street-ballad  writer  : — 

"Jemmy  Catnach  printed  a  quarter  sheet — 
It  was  called  in  lanes  and  passages, 
That  Pizzy  the  butcher,  had  dead  bodies  chopped, 
And  made  them  into  sausages. 

**  Poor  Pizzey  was  in  an  awful  mess. 
And  looked  the  colour  of  cinders — 
A  crowd  assembled  from  far  and  near, 
And  they  smashed  in  all  his  windows. 

**  Now  Jemmy  Catnach's  gone  to  prison. 
And  what's  he  gone  to  prison  for  ? 
For  printing  a  libel  against  Mr.  Pizzey, 
Which  was  sung  from  door  to  door. 

•*  Six  months  in  quod  old  Jemmy's  got. 
Because  he  a  shocking  tale  had  started, 
About  Mr.  Pizzey  who  dealt  in  sausages 
In  Blackmore-street,  Clare-market." 

Misfortunes  are  said  never  to  come  singly,  and  so  it  proved  to 
the  Catnach  family,  for  while  Jemmy  was  domg  his  six  months 
in  the  House  of  Correction  at  Clerkenwell,  we  find  in  the  pages 
of  the  Weekly  Dispatch  for  January  3,  1819,  and  under  Police 
Intelligence,  as  follows  : — 

Circulating  False  News.— At  Bow-street,  on  Wednesday,  Thomas 
Love  and  Thomas  Howlett,  were  brought  to  the  office  by  one  of  the 
patrole,  charged  with  making  a  disturbance  in  Chelsea,  in  the  morning,  by 
blowing  of  horns,  with  a  tremendous  noise,  and  each  of  them  after  blowing 
his  horn,  was  heard  to  announce  with  all  the  vociferation  the  strength  of 
his  lungs  would  admit  of : — <*  The  full,  true,  and  particular  account  of  the 
most  cruel  and  barbarous  murder  of  Mr.  Ellis,  of  Sloane-street,  which  took 
place,  last  night,  in  the  Five  Fields,  Chelsea."  The  patrole,  knowing 
that  no  such  horrid  event  had  taken  place,  had  them  taken  up.  The  papers 
in  their  possession,  which  they  had  been  seUing  at  a  halfpenny  each,  were 
seized  and  brought  to  the  office  with  the  prisoners.  But  what  is  most 
extraordinary,  the  contents  of  the  papers  had  no  reference  whatever  to  Mr. 
Ellis  !  They  were  headed  in  large  letters,  '*  A  Horrid  Murder,"  and 
the  murder  was  stated   to  have  been  committed  at   South-green,  near 


THE   CATNACH   PRESS.  45 

Dartford,  on  the  bodies  of  Thomas  Lane,  his  wife,  three  children,  and  his 
mother.  The  murderer's  conduct  was  stated  very  particularly,  although, 
in  fact,  no  such  event  occurred.  The  magistrate  severely  censured  the 
conduct  of  the  whole  parties.  He  ordered  the  prisoners  to  be  detained, 
and  considered  them  to  be  very  proper  subjects  to  be  made  an  example  of. 
On  Thursday  these  parties  were  again  brought  before  the  magistrate, 
together  with  Mrs.  Catnach  [the  mother]  the  printer  of  the  bills,  which 
gave  a  fictitious  statement  of  the  horrid  murder  said  to  be  committed  at 
Dartford.  She  was  severely  reprimanded.  The  two  homblowers  were 
also  reprimanded  and  then  discharged. 

The  busy  year  of  1820  was  a  very  important  one  to  Catnach, 

in  fact  the  turning  point  in  his  life.     The  Duke  of  Kent,  fourth 

son  of  George  III.,  and  father  to  Queen  Victoria,  died  on  the 

23rd  of  January — the  event  was  of  sufficient  consequence  to 

produce  several  **Full  Particulars,"  for  street  sale.     Just  six 

days  after  his  death,  viz.,  on  the  29th  of  January,  1820,  George 

III.  died,  and  that  event  set  the  ''  Catnach  Press  "  going  night 

and    day  to    supply  the    street    papers,   containing  "    Latest 

particulars,"  &c. 

'*  Mourn,  Britons  mourn  !    Your  sons  deplore, 
Our  Royal  Sovereign  is  now  no  more," 

was  the  commencement  of  a  ballad  written,  printed,  and  pub- 
lished by  J.  Catnach,  2,  Monmouth-court,  7  Dials.  Battledores, 
Lotteries,  and  Primers  sold  cheap.  Sold  by  Marshall,  Bristol, 
and  Hook,  Brighton. 

The  royal  body  was  committed  to  the  family  vault  in  St. 
George's  Chapel  at  Windsor,  on  the  i6th  of  February,  amidst  a 
concourse  of  the  great  and  the  noble  of  the  land.  The  usual 
ceremony  of  proclamation  and  salutation  announced  the 
accession  of  George  IV.  and  another  important  era  commenced. 

Immediately  following  these  events  came  the  Cato-street 
conspiracy.     On  the  24th  of  February  the  newspapers  contained 


46  THE    HISTORY   OF 

the  startling  intelligence  that,  on  the  previous  evening,  a  party 
of  eleven  men,  headed  by  Arthur  Thistlewood,  who  was  already 
known  as  a  political  agitator,  had  been  apprehended  at  a  stable 
in  Cato-street,  an  obscure  place  in  the  locality  of  Grosvenor- 
square,  on  the  charge  of  being  the  parties  to  a  conspiracy  to 
assassinate  the  greater  part  of  the  King's  Ministers.  The  truth 
of  the  intelligence  was  soon  confirmed  by  the  proceedings 
which  took  place  before  the  magisterial  authorities ;  and  in  due 
course  all  the  parties  were  put  on  their  trial  at  the  Old  Bailey, 
on  a  charge  of  high  treason,  Arthur  Thistlewood,  the  leader, 
being  the  first  tried  on  the  17  th  of  April ;  the  Lord  Chief 
Justice  Abbott  presiding.  The  names  of  the  other  prisoners 
were — William  Davidson,  a  man  of  colour ;  James  Ings,  John 
Thomas  Brunt,  Richard  Tidd,  James  William  Wilson,  John 
Harrison,  Richard  Bradburn,  James  Shaw  Strange,  and  Charles 
Cooper,  of  whom  the  first  four,  together  with  Thistlewood,  were 
executed  as  traitors  on  May  ist. 

The  Cato-street  conspiracy  proved  a  rich  harvest  to  all  con- 
cerned in  the  production  of  street  literature.  Catnach  came  in 
for  a  fair  share  of  the  work,  and  he  found  himself  with  plenty 
of  cash  in  hand,  and  in  good  time  to  increase  his  trade-plant 
to  meet  the  great  demand  for  the  street-papers  that  were  in  a  few 
months  to  be  published  daily,  and  in  reference  to  the  ever- 
memorable  trial  of  Queen  Caroline ;  then  it  was  that  his 
business  so  enormously  increased  as  at  times  to  require  three  or 
four  presses  going  night  and  day  to  keep  pace  with  the  great 
demand  for  papers,  which  contained  a  very  much  abridged 
account  of  the  previous  day's  evidence,  and  taken  without  the 
least  acknowledgment  from  an  early  procured  copy  of  one  of 
the  daily  newspapers. 


THE   CATNACH    PRESS.  47 

Great  as  was  the  demand,  the  printers  of  street  literature 
were  equal  to  the  occasion;  and  all  were  actively  engaged  in 
getting  out  "  papers,"  squibs,  lists  of  various  trade  deputations 
to  the  Queen's  levees,  lampoons  and  songs,  that  were  almost 
hourly  published,  on  the  subject  of  the  Queen's  trial.  The 
following  is  a  selection  from  one  which  emanated  from  the 
"  Catnach  Press,"  and  was  supplied  to  us  by  John  Morgan,  the 
Seven  Dials  bard,  and  who  added  that  he  had  the  good  luck — 
the  times  being  prosperous — to  screw  out  half-a-crown  from  Old 
Jemmy  for  the  writing  of  it.  *'  Ah  !  sir,"  he  continued,  "  it  was 
always  a  hard  matter  to  get  much  out  of  Jemmy  Catnach,  I  can 
tell  you,  sir.  He  was,  at  most  times,  a  hard-fisted  one,  and  no 
mistake  about  it.  Yet,  sir,  somehow  or  another,  he  warn't  such 
a  bad  sort,  just  where  he  took.  A  little  bit  rough  and  ready, 
like,  you  know,  sir.  But  yet  still  a  'nipper.'  That's  just  about 
the  size  of  Jemmy  Catnach,  sir.  I  wish  I  could  recollect  more 
of  the  song,  but  you've  got  the  marrow  of  it,  sir : — 

*  And  when  the  Queen  arrived  in  town, 

The  people  called  her  good,  sirs ; 
She  had  a  Brougham  by  her  side, 
A  Denman,  and  a  Wood,  sirs 

*  The  people  all  protected  her, 

They  ran  from  far  and  near,  sirs, 
Till  they  reached  the  house  of  Squire  Byng, 
Which  was  in  St.  James' s-square,  sirs. 

*  And  there  my  blooming  Caroline, 

About  her  made  a  fuss,  man, 
And  told  how  she  had  been  deceived 
By  a  cruel,  barbarous,  husband  '  " 

Street  papers  continued  to  be  printed  and  sold  in  connection 
with  Queen  Caroline's  trial  up  to  the  date  of  her  death,  in  the 
month  of  August,  182 1. 


48 


THE   HISTORY   OF 


A  Copy  of  Verses  in  Praise  of  Queen  Caroline. 

**  Ye  Britons  all,  both  great  and  small, 
Come  listen  to  my  ditty, 
Your  noble  Queen,  fair  Caroline, 
Does  well  deserve  your  pity. 

Like  harmless  lamb  that  sucks  its  dam. 

Amongst  the  flowery  thyme, 
Or  turtle  dove  that's  given  to  love : 

And  that's  her  only  crime. 


Wedlock  I  ween,  to  her  has  been 

A  life  of  grief  and  woe  j 
Thirteen  years  past  she's  had  no  rest. 

As  Britons  surely  know. 


THE  CATNACH  PRESS.  49 

To  blast  her  fame,  men  without  shame, 

Have  done  all  they  could  do  ; 
'Gainst  her  to  swear  they  did  prepare 

A  motley,  perjured  crew. 

Europe  they  seek  for  Turk  or  Greek, 

To  swear  her  life  away, 
But  she  will  triumph  yet  o'er  all. 

And  innocence  display. 

Ye  powers  above,  who  virtue  love, 

Protect  her  from  despair, 
And  soon  her  free  from  calumny. 

Is  every  true  man's  prayer," 


J.  Catnach,  Printer,  2,  Monmouth  Court,  7  Dials. 


Immediately  following  the  Queen's  death,  there  were  published 
a  whole  host  of  monodies,  elegies,  and  ballads  in  her  praise. 
Catnach  made  a  great  hit  with  one  entitled — "  Oh  !  Britons 
Remember  your  Queen's  Happy  Days,"  together  with  a  large 
broadside,  entitled  "An  Attempt  to  Exhibit  the  Leading  Events 
in  the  Queen's  Life,  in  Cuts  and  Verse.  Adorned  with  Twelve 
splendid  Illustrations.  Interspersed  with  Verses  of  Descriptive 
Poetry.  Entered  at  Stationers'  Hall.  By  Jas.  Catnach,  Printer, 
7  Dials.  Price  2d."  A  copy  is  preserved  in  the  British 
Museum.  Press  Mark.  Tab.  597,  «,  i — 67,  and  arranged 
under  Catnach,  from  which  we  select  two  pieces  as  a  fair  sample 
of  Jemmy's  "  poetry-making  !  " — Which  please  to  read  carefully, 
and  "  Mind  Your  Stops  1 "  quoth  John  Berkshire. 

H 


50  THE  HISTORY  OF 


An  Elegy  on  the  Death  of  the  Queen, 

/"^URS'D  be  the  hour  when  on  the  British  shore, 

^-^     She  set  her  foot — whose  loss  we  now  deplore  ; 

P'or,  from  that  hour  she  pass'd  a  life  of  woe, 

And  underwent  what  few  could  undergo  : 

And  lest  she  should  a  tranquil  hour  know, 

Against  her  peace  was  struck  a  deadly  blow  ; 

A  separation  hardly  to  be  borne, — 

Her  only  daughter  from  her  arms  was  torn  ! 

And  next  discarded — driven  from  her  home, 

An  unprotected  Wanderer  to  roam  ! 

Oh,  how  each  heart  with  indignation  fills, 

When  memory  glances  o'er  the  train  of  ills, 

Which  through  her  travels  followed  everywhere 

In  quick  succession  till  this  fatal  year  ! 

Here  let  us  stop — for  mem'ry  serves  too  well, 

To  bear  the  woes  which  Caroline  befel, 

Each  art  was  tried — at  last  to  crush  her  down, 

The  Queen  of  England  was  refus'd  a  crown  ! 

Too  much  to  bear — Thus  robb'd  of  all  her  state 

She  fell  a  victim  to  their  hate  ! 

"  They  have  destroyed  me," — with  her  parting  breath, 

She  died — and  calmly  yielded  unto  death. 

Forgiving  all,  she  parted  with  this  life, 

A  Queen,  and  no  Queen — wife,  and  not  a  wife  ! 

To  Heaven  her  soul  is  borne  on  Seraph's  wings, 

To  wait  the  Judgment  of  the  KING  of  Kings  ; 

Trusting  to  find  a  belter  world  ihan  this, 

And  meet  her  Daughter  in  the  realms  of  bliss. 


THE  CATNACH  PRESS. 


51 


CAROLINE 

THE  INJURED 

QUEEN 

OF    ENGLAND. 


Beneath  this  cold  marble  the  **  Wanderer  "  lies, 

Here  shall  she  rest  'till  "  the  Heavens  be  no  more," 
'Till  the  trumpet  shall  sound,  and  the  Dead  shall  arise, 

Then  the  perjurer  unmask'd  will  his  sentence  deplore. 
Ah  !  what  will  avail  then  ?  Pomp,  Titles,  and  Birth, 

Those  empty  distinctions  all  levell'd  will  be, 
For  the  King  shall  be  judg'd  with  the  poor  of  the  earth, 

And  perhaps,  the  poor  man  will  be  greater  than  he. 
Until  that  day  we  leave  Caroline's  wrongs, 

Meantime,  may  "  Repentance  "  her  foes  overtake ; 
O  grant  it,  kind  POWER,  to  whom  alone  it  belongs. 

AMEN.     Here  an  end  of  this  Hist'ry  we  make. 

Quod.    JAS.  C-T-N-H,  Dec.  loth,  1821. 

H  2 


52 


THE  HISTORY  OF 


In  the  early  part  of  the  year  182 1,  the  British  public  were 
informed  through  the  then  existing  usual  advertising  mediums 
that  there  was  about  to  be  published,  in  monthly  parts,  "  Pierce 
Egan's  Life  in  London ;  or,  the  Day  and  Night  Scenes  of  Jerry 
Hawthorn,  Esq.,  and  his  elegant  friend  Corinthian  Tom,  ac- 
companied by  Bob  Logic,  the  Oxonian,  in  their  Rambles  and 
Sprees  through  the  Metropolis.  Embellished  with  Scenes  from 
Real  Life,  designed  and  etched  by  L  R.  and  G.  Cruikshank, 
and  enriched  with  numerous  original  designs  on  wood  by  the 
same  Artists." 

And  on  the  15th  of  July,  the  first  number,  price  one  shilling, 
was  published  by  Messrs.  Sherwood,  Neely,  and  Jones,  of 
Paternoster  Row.  This  sample,  or  first  instalment,  of  the  entire 
work  was  quite  enough  for  society  to  judge  by.  It  took  both 
town  and  country  by  storm.  It  was  found  to  be  the  exact 
thing  in  literature  that  the  readers  of  those  days  wanted. 
Edition  after  edition  was  called  for — and  supplied,  as  fast  as 
the  illustrations  could  be  got  away  from  the  small  army  of 
women  and  children  who  were  colouring  them.  With  the  ap- 
pearance of  numbers  two  and  three,  the  demand  increased,  and 
a  revolution  in  our  literature,  in  our  drama,  and  even  in  our 
nomenclature  began  to  develope  itself.  All  the  announcements 
from  Paternoster  Row  were  of  books,  great  and  small,  depicting 
life  in  London  ;  dramatists  at  once  turned  their  attention  to  the 
same  subject,  and  tailors,  bootmakers,  and  hatters,  recommended 
nothing  but  Corinthian  shapes,  and  Tom  and  Jerry  patterns.* 

*  The  late  John  Camden  Hotten's  Introduction  to  the  new  edition  of 
'VLife  in  London."    Chatto  &  Windus  :  Piccadilly. 


THE  CATNACH  PRESS.  53 


Tom  and  Jerry. 

f 

*'  Of  Life  ill  London,  Tom,  Jerry  and  Logic  I  sing." 
To  the  Strand  then  I  toddled— the  mob  was  great — 
My  watch  I  found  gone — pockets  undone  : 
I  fretted  at  first,  and  rail'd  against  fate, 
For  I  paid  well  to  see  "  Life  in  London." 

As  may  be  readily  conceived ;  the  stage  soon  claimed  "  Tom 
and  Jerry."  The  first  drama  founded  upon  the  work  was  from 
the  pen  of  Mr.  Barrymore,  and  produced — "  in  hot  haste,"  at 
the  Royal  Amphitheatre,  on  Monday,  Sept.  17,  182 1.  The 
second  dramatic  version  was  written  for  the  Olympic  Theatre, 
by  Charles  Dibden,  and  first  played  on  Monday,  Nov.  12,  182 1. 

Mr.  Moncrieff  appeared  as  the  third  on  the  list  of  drama- 
tists, and  it  was  announced  at  the  Adelphi  Theatre  in  the 
following  style: — "On  Monday,  Nov.  26th,  182 1,  will  be  pre- 
sented for  the  first  time,  on  a  scale  of  unprecedented  extent 
(having  been  many  weeks  in  preparation  under  the  superinten- 
dence of  several  of  the  most  celebrated  Artists,  both  in  the  Ups 
and  Downs  of  Life,  who  have  all  kindly  come  forward  to  assist 
the  Proprietors  in  their  endeavours  to  render  the  Piece  a  com- 
plete out-and-outer),  an  entirely  new  Classic,  Comic,  Operatic, 
Didactic,  Aristophanic,  Localic,  Analytic,  Panoramic,  Camera- 


54  THE  HISTORY  OF 

Obscura-ic  Extravaganza-Burletta  of  Fun,  Frolic,  Fashion  and 
Flash,  in  three  acts,  called  'Tom  and  Jerry;  or  Life  in 
London.'  Replete  with  Prime  Chaunts,  Rum  Glees,  and  Kiddy 
Catches,  founded  on  Pierce  Egan's  well-known  and  highly- 
popular  work  of  the  same  name,  by  a  celebrated  extravagant 
erratic  Author.  The  music  selected  and  modified  by  him  from 
the  most  eminent  composers,  ancient  and  modern,  and  every 
Air  furnished  with  an  attendant  train  of  Graces.  The  costumes 
and  scenery  superintended  by  Mr.  I.  R.  Cruikshank,  from  the 
Drawings  by  himself  and  his  brother,  Mr.  George  Cruikshank, 
the  celebrated  Artists  of  the  original  Work. 

"  Corinthian  Tom,  Mr.  Wrench ;  Jerry  Hawthorn,  Mr.  John 
Reeve ;  Logic,  Mr.  Wilkinson ;  Jemmy  Green,  Mr.  Keeley ; 
Dusty  Bob,  Mr.  Walbourn ;  African  Sal,  Mr.  Sanders ;  Billy 
Waters,  Mr.  Paulo;  Kate,  Mrs.  Baker;  Sue,  Mrs.  Waylett, 
&c.,  &c. 


Black  Sal  and  Dusty  Bob. 


THE  CATNACH  PRESS.  55 

Besides  the  authors  already  mentioned,  Tom  Dibden,  Farrell, 
and  Douglas  Jerrold,  each  produced  dramas  upon  the  popular 
theme,  and  during  the  seasons  of  182 1-2,  "Life  in  London" 
was  performed  with  eclat,  at  ten  theatres  in  and  around  the 
metropolis,  to  overflowing  houses.  But  Pierce  Egan  at  length 
became  tired  of  the  successes  of  the  playwrights  in  using  his 
book,  and  resolved  to  try  his  own  hand  at  a  dramatic  version — 
or,  as  he  termed  it,  to  "  take  a  leaf  out  of  his  own  book," — 
and  the  Author's  Piece  was  "  got  up  "  and  performed  for  the 
first  time  at  Sadler's  Wells,  under  the  management  of  Mr. 
Egerton,  on  Monday,  April  8,  1822,  with  most  decided  success. 

It  was  thus  announced  by  Mrs.  Egerton,  in  the  address 
written  for  the  occasion  by  T.  Greenwood,  Esq. : — 

"  To-night  my  friends,  this  modem  taste  to  meet, 
We  show  you  Jerry  at  his  country  seat ; 
Then  up  to  town  transport  the  rustic  beau, 
And  show  him  '  Life  in  London,'  HIGH  and  LOW." 

At  length  Tom  and  Jerry  had  been  repeated  so  often  in  the 
Metropolis,  that  the  performers,  notwithstanding  the  great  ap- 
plause they  nightly  received  in  the  above  piece,  absolutely  be- 
came tired  and  worn-out  with  the  repetition  of  their  characters, 
when  the  following  piece  of  satire,  written  by  T.  Greenwood,  Esq., 
was  published,  entitled,  "  The  Tears  of  Pierce  Egan,  Esq.,  for 
the  Death  of  *  Life  in  London  ; '  or,  the  Funeral  of  Tom  and 
Jerry,  dedicated  to  Robert  and  George  Cruiksh^nk,  Esqs. 
Price  Two  Shillings,  with  an  engraving  by  George  Cruik shank." 

**  Beat  out  of  the  Pit  and  thrown  over  the  Ropes, 
Tom  and  Jerry  resign'd  their  last  breath, 
With  them,  too,  expired  the  Managers'  hopes, 
Who  are  left  to  deplore  their  sad  death  ! 


$6  THE  HISTORY  OF 

"  Odd  and  various  reports  of  the  cause  are  about, 
But  the  real  one  was  this^  I  opine  : 
They  were  run  to  a  standstill^  and,  therefore,  no  doubt, 
That  the  cause  was  a  rapid  decline. 

*'  When  Death  showed  his  Nob,  out  of  Time  they  were  beat, 
And  neither  would  come  to  the  scratch  ; 
They  hung  down  their  heads  and  gave  up  the  last  heat, 
Not  prepared  with  the  Spectre  to  match, 

**  All  wept  at  the  Funeral  !  the  Fancy  and  all- 
Some  new,  but  a  great  many  mended  : 
And  Egan,  while  Cruikshank  and  Boh  held  the  pall, 
As  Chief-Mourner  in  person  attended  ! ! ! 

"  Their  Sprees  and  their  Rambles  no  more  shall  amuse, 
Farewell  to  all  nocturnal  parleys : 
The  Town  felt  regret  as  the  bell  tolled  the  news, 
And  no  one  rejoiced — but  the  Charleys  ! 

"A  monument,  too,  their  kind  Patrons  will  raise. 
Inscribed  on—'  Here  lies  TOM  and  JERRY, 
Who,  departing  the  stage  to  their  immortal  praise, 
ONE  THOUSAND  NIGHTS  made  the  Tcmn  Merry!!!' 

"  May  their  souls  rest  in  peace,  since  they've  chosen  to  flit. 
Like  other  great  heroes  departed  ; 
May  no  mischief  arise  from  the  sudden  exit. 
Nor  Pierce  Egan  d\Q— broken- hearted !  " 

In  reference  to  the  above,  Pierce  Egan  states  in  "The  Finish 
to  the  Adventures  of  Tom,  Jerry,  and  Logic,"  that  Catnach,  in 
less  than  twelve  hours  after  the  publication,  "produced  a  pirated 
edition  for  street  sale,  for  twopence. 

Mr.  Pierce  Egan,  in  his  "  Fijiish,'^  states  that  he  reckoned  no 
less  than  sixty-five  separate  publications,  which  he  enumerates 
in  extensOy  all  derived  from  his  own  work,  and  adds,  with  his 
usual  amount  of  large  and  small  Capitals  and  italics—*^  We 


THE  CATNACH  PRESS.  37 

have  been  pirated^  copied,  traduced  \  but  unfortunately,  not 
ENRICHED  by  our  indefatigable  exertions  ;  therefore  notoriety 
must  satisfy  us,  instead  of  the  smiles  of  FORTUNE." 

Jemmy  Catnach,  true  to  his  line  of  life,  soon  joined  what 
Pierce  Egan  designates  as  the  "  Mob  of  Literary  Pirates,"  and 
brought  out  a  *'  whole  sheet  "  for  street-sale,  entitled  **  Life  in 
London,"  with  twelve  woodcuts,  which  are  reduced  and  very 
roughly  executed  copies  of  the  centre  figures  of  the  original 
plates  by  the  Brothers  Cruikshank — but  all  in  reverse.  The 
letter-press  matter  consists  of  a  poetical  epitome  of  the  plot  and 
design  of  the  original  work  of  "  Life  in  London."  And  taking 
it  as  it  stands,  and  from  whence  it  emanated,  rather  a  creditable 
performance,  particularly  when  we  take  into  consideration — as 
duly  announced  by  the  street-patterer,  that  it  was  '*  Just  printed 
and  pub — lish — ed,  all  for  the  low  charge  of  twopence." 

On  the  rarity  of  this  Catnachian  and  pirated  edition  of  "  Life 
in  London  "  it  is  superfluous  to  enlarge,  and  it  is  easy  to  account 
for  this  circumstance,  if  we  reflect  that  the  broadside  form  of 
publication  is  by  no  means  calculated  for  preservation  ;  hundreds 
of  similar  pieces  printed  for  street-sale  must  have  perished. 
The  more  generally  acceptable  a  broadside  or  street  ballad  be- 
came, and  was  handed  about  for  perusal,  the  more  it  was  ex- 
posed to  the  danger  of  destruction.  No  copy  of  Catnach's 
version  is  preserved  in  the  British  Museum,  therefore,  and  for 
the  reason  above  stated,  it  must  be  considered  as  a  great 
»*  Literary  Rarity."^ 

*  Our  thanks  are  due,  and  are  hereby  given  to  Mr.  Crawford  John  Pocock, 
of  Cannon  Place,  Brighton,  for  the  loan  and  use  of  his — what  we  feel  almost 
inclined  to  consider — unique  copy  of  Catnach's  broadside  of  "  Life  in 
London." 

I 


58  THE  HISTORY  OF 

CUT  I.— Jerry  in  Training  for  a  Swell. 


TV  ]  OW  Jerry  must  needs  be  a  swell, 
^  ^      His  coat  must  have  a  swallow-tail, 
And  Mr.  Snip,  so  handy,  O, 
Soon  rigg'd  him  out  a  Dandy,  O. 

CUT  II. — Tom  and  Jerry  among  the  Ladies. 


LADIES,  your  most  humble  servants, 
Tom  and  Jerry  stand  before  you. 
Our  blood  is  thrilling,  you're  so  killing ; 
At  once  we  love  you  and  adore  you. 


THE  CATNACH  PRESS. 

CUT  III. — Jerry  Loses  at  Play. 


59 


AT  St.  James's  they  dine,  when,  flushed  with  new  wine, 
To  the  Gaming  Tables  they  reel, 
Where  blacklegs  and  sharps,  often  gammon  the  flats, 
As  their  pockets  do  presently  feel. 

CUT  IV. — Jerry  Learning  to  Spar. 


TV  T  OW  Jerry's  become  a  Fancy  blade, 
•^  ^      To  Jackson's  he  often  goes, 
And  to  shew  his  skill  in  the  milling  trade. 
He  crack'd  poor  Logick's  nose. 


I    2 


6o  THE  HISTORY  OF 

CUT  V. — Tom  and  Jerry  at  a  Fortune-Teller's. 


T  T  ERE  lives  a  Fortune-Telling  Gipsy, 
X  X     Wrinkled,  crabbed,  grim  and  old ; 
And  Tom  and  Jerry's  fancy  ladies 
Are  gone  to  get  their  Fortunes  told. 

CUT  VI. — Beggar's  Opera.     Tom,  Jerry,  and  Logick 

AMONG   THE   CaDGERS    IN    THE    HOLY   LaND. 


NOW  to  keep  up  the  spree,  Tom,  Jerry  and  Logick, 
Went  disguis'd  to  the  Slums  in  the  Holy  Land ; 
Through  each  crib  and  each  court,  they  hunted  for  sport, 
Till  they  came  to  the  Beggar's  Opera  so  named. 


THE  CATNACH  PRESS. 


6l 


CUT  VII. — Night  Scene. — Tom  and  Jerry  upsetting 
THE  Charleys. 


HARK  !  the  watchman  springs  his  rattle, 
Now  the  midnight  lark's  begun  ; 
Boxes  crashing,  lanthorns  smashing, 
Mill  the  Charleys — oh  !  what  fun. 


CUT  VIII. — Brought  before  the  Magistrates. 


A  N'  please  your  Worship  here's  three  fellows 
-^^    Been  hammering  of  us  all  about  ; 
Broke  our  boxes,  lanthorns,  smellers. 

And  almost  clos'd  our  peepers  up. 


62  THE  HISTORY  OF 

CUT  IX.— Tom,  Jerry,  and  Logick  in  a  Row. 


MERCY  !  what  a  din  and  clatter 
Breaks  the  stillness  of  the  night, 
Lamps  do  rattle— 'tis  a  battle, 
Quick,  and  let  us  see  the  sight. 

CUT  X. — Scene  in  a  Gin-shop. 


HERE  some  are  tumbling  and  jumping  in, 
And  some  are  staggering  out ; 
One's  pawn'd  her  smock  for  a  quartern  of  gin, 
Another,  her  husband's  coat. 


THE  CATNACH   PRESS 

CUT  XL — Poor  Logick  in  the  Fleet. 


63 


LL  in  the  Fleet  poor  Logick's  moor'd 
tis  swaggering's  now  at  an  end  ! 


ALL  11 
Hi 

CUT  XII. — Jerry  Going  Back  to  the  Country. 


THREE  merry  boys  were  Logick,  Tom  and  Jerry, 
And  many  funny  larks  they  have  seen  ; 
Farewell,  gay  London,  the  country  calls  me  home  again, 
The  coach  moves  on — the  play  is  done — Goodbye,  Goodbye. 
Quod.  JAS.  C-N'-H,  March  23,  1822. 


64  THE   HISTORY  OF 

How  delightful  Pierce  Egan's  book  was  to  the  youths  of 
England,  and  how  eagerly  all  its  promised  feasts  of  pleasure 
were  devoured  by  them,  Thackeray  has  told  us  in  his  "  Round- 
about Papers — De  Juventute  "  in  the  "  Cornhill  Magazine  " 
for  October,  i860.         

Mr.,  afterwards  Sir  William  Cubitt,  of  Ipswich,  erected  a  tread- 
mill at  Brixton  Gaol,  and  soon  afterwards  in  other  large  prisons. 
A  street  ballad  on  the  subject  was  issued  from  the  "  Catnach 
Press  "  and  had  a  most  unprecedented  sale,  keeping  the  press- 
men and  boys  working  for  weeks — 

"  And  we're  all  treading  at  fam'd  Brixton  Mill." 

The  treadmill — that  "  terror  to  evil  doers  " — excited  much 
attention,  and  the  inventor's  name  gave  rise  to  many  jokes  on  the 
subject  among  such  of  the  prisoners  as  could  laugh  at  their 
own  crimes,  who  said  they  were  punished  by  the  cubit !. 

The  Treadmill. 

THIS  Brixton  Mill's  a  fearful  ill, 
And  he  who  brought  the  Bill  in. 
Is  threat'n'd  by  the  cHbbing  coves. 

That  he  shall  have  a  milling. 
They  say  he  shevv'd  a  simple  pate, 

To  think  of  felons  mending ; 
As  every  step  which  here  they  take 
They're  still  in  crime  ascending. 

Tom,  Jerry,  Logic,  three  prime  sprigs, 

Find  here  they  cannot  come  it, 
For  though  ihoix  fancy  soars  aloft, 

They  ne'er  will  reach  the  sum^nit. 
Corinthian  Kate  and  buxom  Sue 

Must  change  their  warm  direction, 
For  if  they  make  one  false  step  more 

They'll  have  Cold  Bath  Correction, 


THE  CATNACH   PRESS. 


65 


"The  gallows  does  well  :  But  how  does  it  well?  it  does  well  to  those 
that  do  ill." — Hamlet^  Act  v.,  sc.  i. 

There  can  be  little  doubt  that  Jemmy  Catnach,  the  great 
publisher  of  the  Seven  Dials,  had  his  mind  mostly  centred  upon 
the  chronicling  of  doubtful  scandals,  fabulous  duels  between 
ladies  of  fashion,  **  cooked  "  assassinations,  and  sudden  deaths 
of  eminent  individuals,  apochryphal  elopements,  real  or  catch- 
penny account  of  murders,  impossible  robberies,  delusive  sui- 
cides, dark  deeds,  and — though  last,  not  least,  in  his  love — 
public  executions,  vulgo  "  Hanging  Matches,"  to  which  was 
usually  attached  the  all-important  and  necessary  "Sorrowful 
Lamentations,"  or  "  Copy  of  Affectionate  Verses,"  which  accord- 
ing to  the  established  custom,  the  criminal  composed  in  the 
condemned  cell  the  night  before  his  execution,  after  this 
manner : — 

K 


66 


THE   HISTORY  OF 


The  Flying  Stationer,  otherwise  Patterer. 

**  All  you  that  have  got  feeling,  I  pray  you  now  attend 
To  these  few  lines  so  sad  and  true,  a  solemn  silence  lend  ; 

It  is  of  a  cruel  murder,  to  you  I  will  unfold 

The  bare  recital  of  the  tale  must  make  your  blood  run  cold. " 

'*  Mercy  on  earth  I'll  not  implore,  to  crave  it  would  be  vain, 
My  hands  are  dyed  with  human  gore,  none  can  wash  off  the  stain, 
But  the  merits  of  a  Saviour,  whose  mercy  alone  I  crave  ; 
Good  Christians  pray,  as  thus  I  die,  I  may  His  pardon  have." 


THE  CATNACH   PRESS. 


67 


A  moan^  (tnd  aS^ting 
COPY    OF    VERSES 

on  the  death  of 

Who  was  barbarously  and  cruelly  murdered  by  her  sweetheart, 
W.  JONES,  near  Wirksworth,  in  Derbyshire,  July,  1823. 


WmUa/«M^>y««waMie,l  H.  hw  »md  A1D7  oowttttm 
to  Dwiqr  gMl  it  th*  imrdw  tt  kk  nrMlktart.  Vsdor  dreua. 
<MCii  *l  whKrd  of  botari^.    n*  fHH  rletim  wu  e  wrrnot 


«M.  wkoa  aadar  Mtcaw  of  ■aniagt  b*  Mduetd.  Oa  bcr  pniTtiif 
wM  (ktU  tk*  HOaiJ  torawd  tht  konU  toin  of  nnnlerbg  kv; 
«i  «nM  kh  JMoHMt  ,Uii  into  eimtioa  m  Ui^j  evtniif 
ImL  Tk*  Ibltoinit  nnm  tr*  wriim  spoa  t^  oaauiea,  i/^tiag  t 
MH|W*  AMiUI  «(!U  lUskuif  dfftb  i- 

Ooma  all  fiJuo  heartsd  yo«af  men 

A-d  liaten  to  m;  aon^, 
"Til  of,  a  cruel  mar^er^ 

That  lately  has  been  ddne 
On  the  body  of  a  mRideo  feir 

The  truth  I  irQl  anfcld. 
The  JIkwi  relation  of  tais  deed  ^ 

Will  make  yoor  blood  run  odd.. 
Nebr  Wirksworth  town  in  Derttyghir*. 

Ann  Williama  she  did  dwell. 
In  service  aho  long  tiniA  had  lived, 

TiUthiito^erbefcl. 
Her  cheelu  were  like  the  blushing  roafr 

All  in  the  month  af  Xay, 
Whioh  made  thia  wicked  ytiang  man 

Thus  unto  b«r  did  soy  ; 
Vaney,  my  chRiming  creature, 

Tou  b&ra  my  heart  enaaored. 
My  love  49  snoh  1  am  reeolrod 

To  wed  you  I  declare. 
Thus  by  hit  falae  daluding  tongue 

f  oor  Nancy  waa  beguil'd, 
And  soon  to  her  misfortune, 

By  him  ahc  prored  with  child. 
3oae  days  ego  this  damael  bir 

Did  write  to  him  with  speed, 
8och  tenderness  she  di4  exfuetn. 

Would  make  a  heart  to  bleed. 
Bhe  i<dd,  my  dearest  Williaai. 

I  am  » tth  child  by  thee  ^ 
Iborefore,  my  dear,  pray  let  meloww 

When  you  will  marry  me. 
She  following  d«y  at  evening. 

This  young  man  did  repair. 
Unto  tne  town  of  Wii^wottj^ , 

To  meet  bis  Nancy  thet» 
paying,  Nanoy  dear,  eoaMM  0*  walk. 

Among  the  flowery  fielda, 
And  then  the  seoreta  of  ny  lieart 

To  you  I  will  revekl 
O  then  this  wicked  yonng  mib 

'A. knife  ho  did  provide, 
fijoA  ell  nnknown  to  his  tm^  tove 

Concealed  it  by  his  dde. 
When  to  the  fatal  spot  they  eama, 


ThbM  woldi  to  her  dU  aar : 
AU  oo  this  rery  nieht  I  wiQ 

Your  prodons  life  hetniy. 
On  bended  knees  she  then  did  fid). 

In  sorrow  and  despair, 
Ak>ud.ft>f  mercT  she  did  call, 

Hbr  sHce  did  r«nd  the  sir ; 
Widk  e!«aped  han^s  and  uplift  eyea 

She  cried.  Oh  spare  my  lift, 
(  aerar  more  will  aak  you 

To  make  me  your  wedded  wifis. 
Q  thfin  this  wicked  young  mwi  said, 

Ko  nverey  will  I  diow ; 
He  toolc  the  ifiitt  all  tVom  hi*  itde. 

And  weroed  her  body  Utroo^ 
But  atili  she  smiling  seid  to  hun. 

While  trembling  with  fear,. 
kV.  WiOiam,  WiUiam,  spare  my  Ufa, 

Think  on  your  baby  dear. 
Twiee  more  then  with  the  bloody  knife 

He  mn  her  body  throoght 
Her  Ukfoat  tms  cut  froni  ear  to  ear, 

Xoet  drendfol  for  %a  viaw ; 
Her  hands  and  arms  aii4  beaoteous  (kee  . 

He  cut  nod  manned  Kie, 
tpiile  daw«  upon  W  milk  white  breaA 

The  criffisoD  blood  £a  pottc 
He  took  the  shawl  ftent  off  .llgt  QMk, 

And  roocd  her  body  iiai^ 
\f  ith  pebbU  stooea  h«  did  it  AQ, 

Thinking  the  crime  to'bida, 
O  then  into  the  ttlvaf  atreaa 

He  clanged  hei  stiaigfatway, 
But  with  her  predow  blood  w*»  ' 

Which  soon  did  bim  betr«y. 
O  dien  this  yoQng'man  'taken  waa. 

And  into  prison  sont, 
'In  ratling  ehalos  he  u  oon^'4.- 

Hir  enme  for  to  lament. 
Until  the  AMizes  do  oome  on. 

When  (rembh'ag  he  mnat  ataad, 
befleeting  on  the  deed  he's  done ; 

Waiting  the  dread  eaptmand. 
How  all  you  thougbtleal  young  uma 

A  timeljr' wagming  tak«; 
Likawiae  ye  &ir  yonag  maidens, 

For  this  poor  damsel's  oako. 
And  Oh  beware  of  flattering  tongo^ 

For  they'll  your  min  prove ; 
80  may  yoa  crown  your  fiitore  day. 

In  eomfort,  joy,  and  love. 


K  2 


68  THE   HISTORY   OF 

Or  take  another  and  stereotyped  example,  which  from  time 
to  time  has  served  equally  well  for  the  verses  written  by  the 
culprit—Brown,  Jones,  Robinson,  or  Smith  : 

"  Those  deeds  I  mournfully  repent, 
,  But  now  it  is  too  late, 

The  day  is  past,  the  die  is  cast, 
And  fixed  is  my  fate. 

"  I  see  the  hangman  before  me  stand, 
Ready  to  seize  me  by  the  law's  command ; 

When  my  life  is  ended  on  the  fatal  tree, 
Then  will  be  clear'd  up  all  mystery." 

Occasionally  the  Last  Sorrowful  Lamentation  contained  a 
"  Love  Letter  " — the  criminal  being  unable,  in  some  instances, 
to  read  or  write,  being  no  obstacle  to  the  composition — written 
according  to  the  street  patterer's  statement :  "  from  the  depths 
of  the  condemned  cell,  with  the  condemned  pen,  ink,  and 
paper."  This  mode  of  procedure  in  "  gallows  "  literature,  and 
this  style  of  composition  having  prevailed  for  from  sixty  to 
seventy  years. 

Then  they  would  say  :  "  Here  you  have  also  an  exact  likeness 
of  the  murderer,  taken  at  the  bar  of  the  Old  Bailey  by  an  emi- 
nent artist ! "  when  all  the  time  it  was  an  old  woodcut  that  had 
been  used  for  every  criminal  for  many  years.  The  block  !  oppo- 
site, to  our  own  knowledge,  served  as  the  counterfeit  presentment 
of  all  popular  murderers  for  upwards  of  forty  years. 


THE   CATNACH   PRESS. 


69 


Likeness  of  the  Murderer. 


"  There's  nothing  beats  a  stunning  good'murder  after  all,"  said 
a  **  running  patterer"  to  Mr.  Henry  Mayhew,  the  author  of 
"  London  Labour  and  London  Poor."  It  is  only  fair  to  assume 
that  Mr.  James  Catnach  shared  in  the  sentiment,  for  it  is  said 
that  he  made  over  ;£'5oo  by  the  publication  of: — 

"The  Full,  True  and  Particular  Account  of  the  Murder  of  Mr.  Weare 
by  John  Thurtell  and  his  Companions,  which  took  place  on  the  24th  of 
October,  1823,  in  Gill's  Hill-lane,  near  Elstree,  in  Hertfordshire  :— Only 
One  Penny." 

There  were  eight  formes  set  up,  for  old  Jemmy  had  no  notion 

of  stereotyping  in  those  days,  and  pressmen  had  to  re-cover  their 


70  THE   HISTORY  OF 

own  tympans  with  sheep-skins.  But  by  working  day  and  night 
for  a  week  they  managed  to  get  off  about  250,000  copies  with 
the  four  presses,  each  working  two  formes  at  a  time. 


Thurtell  Murdering  Mr.  Weare. 

As  the  trial  progressed,  and  the  case  became  more  fully 
developed,  the  public  mind  became  almost  insatiable.  Every 
night  and  morning  large  bundles  were  despatched  to  the  princi- 
pal towns  in  the  three  kingdoms. 

One  of  the  many  street-ballads  on  the  subject  informed  the 
British  public  that : — 

"  Thurtell,  Hunt,  and  Probert,  too,  for  trial  must  now  prepare, 
For  that  horrid  murder  of  Mr.  William  Weare." 


THE   CATNACH   PRESS.  Jt 

The  circumstances  immediately  attending  the  murder  are  so 
fully  and  so  well  detailed  in  the  proper  channels  that  we  need 
not  here  say  more  than  that  the  trial  took  place  at  Hertford  on 
the  5th  January,  1824. 

The  prisoners  who  stood  indicted  were  John  Thurtell  and 
Joseph  Hunt.  The  latter  was  at  the  time  well  known  as  a 
public  singer  and  was  somewhat  celebrated  for  the  talent  which 
he  possessed.  Both  prisoners  were  found  guilty,  but  Hunt  was 
reprieved  and  subsequently  ordered  to  be  transported  for  life. 
Thurtell,  who  fully  confessed  to  the  crime,  was  executed  in  front 
of  Hertford  gaol  on  Friday,  the  9th  of  January,  1824. 

As  before  observed,  Catnach  cleared  over  ;^5oo  by  this  event, 
and  was  so  loth  to  leave  it,  that  when  a  wag  put  him  up  to  a 
joke,  and  showed  him  how  he  might  set  the  thing  a-going  again, 
he  could  not  withstand  it ;  and  so,  about  a  fortnight  after  Thurtell 
had  been  hanged,  Jemmy  brought  out  a  startling  broad-sheet, 
headed,  "  WE  ARE  ALIVE  AGAIN  ! "  He  put  so  little  space 
between  the  words  *'  we  "  and  "are"  that  it  looked  at  first  sight 
like  "  WEARE."  Many  thousands  were  bought  by  the  ignorant 
and  gullible  public,  but  those  who  did  not  like  the  trick  called 
it  a  "  catch  penny,"  and  this  gave  rise  to  this  peculiar  term, 
which  ever  afterwards  stuck  to  the  issues  of  the  *'  Seven  Dials' 
Press,"  though  they  sold  as  well  as  ever. 

Probert,  who  had  been  mixed  up  in  the  affair,  was  admitted 
as  King's  evidence  and  discharged  at  the  rising  of  the  Court. 
He  subsequently  met  the  fate  he  so  richly  deserved,  for,  having 
been  found  guilty  at  the  Old  Bailey  of  horse  stealing,  he  was 
executed  there  on  the  20th  of  June,  1825. 


72 


THE   HISTORY  OF 


THE  CONFESSION  AND  EXJBCUTION   OF 

JOHN  THURTELL 


On  Friday,  the  9th  of  January,  1824. 


th3b  execution. 

Eaifori,  hal/-p9»t  iwtke  a'elotk. 

Thu  mominf ,  ut  ten  muiutes  before  twelve,  a  bnstie 
among  the  jaTclia-ioen  stntioned  within  the  boarded 
enckwure  en  which  the  drop  was  erected,  aaDotmced  to 
tfae  multitude  without  that  the  pToparGtions  for  the 
execution  were  tiearly  conctadcd  The  javelinmen 
proceeded  to  oiirange  themsclres  in  the  order  DSo&lIy 
observed  upon  theeo  mokincholy  but  necessary  ooow- 
reoccs.  They  had  scarcely  finislied  their  arrangcmentB, 
when  the  opening  of  the  gate  of  the  prison  gave  an 
additional  impulse  to  public  anxiety 

'Wlien  tho  clock  wa»  on  the  etroke  of  twelve,  Mf 
Iftcholtloo,  the  Under-sheriff,  nod  the  ozecutioner 
awended  the  platform,  followed  oh  to  it  by  ThurtcU, 
who  mountod  the  stairs  with  a  »low  bat  Bteady  step. 
The  principal  turnkey  ot  the  ^I  came  nest,  and  was 
followed  by  Kr  Wilson  and^  two  officers.  Gn  the 
approach  of  the  prisoner  being  ioti  mated  by  thoee 
MTsons  who,  being  in  an  ctevaled  »ituat>on,  obtained  tho 
first  view  of  him,  all  the  immense  nultitode  present 
took  oif  their  hats. 

Thurtell  immediately  placed  himself  under  the  fiatal 
beam,  and  at  that  moment  the  chimes  ol  a  oeighbtfurilig 
olock  began  to  strike  twelve.  The  executioner  then 
came  forward  with  the  rope,  which  ho  throw  acrose  it. 
Thurtell  first  lifted  lus  eyes  up  to  the  drop.  ^;iued  at  it 
<or  a  few  moments,  nud  then,  took  »  calm  but  hurried 
anrrey  of  tho  jmultitude  orouod  him.  He  next  fixed 
hia  eyes  oi^a  yonng  gentleman  in  the  crowd,  wlwm  ha 
bad  nvquently  seen  as  a  spectator  at  the  commenoetnent 
of  the  proceedings  againat  him.  Seeing  that  the 
individual  was  affected  by  the  ciroumstAnoe,  he  removed 
them  to  another  quarter,  and  in  ao  doin^  recognised  an 
individual  well  known  in  the  sporting  cirolea,  to  whom 
be  made  a  slight  bow. 

The  prisoner  was  attired  in  a  dark  brown  great  ooal, 
with  a  bloek  velvet  ooUar,  white  corduroy  ^reecbes, 
drab  gaiters  and  shoes.  His  hands  were  confined  with 
k«ndcuffa,  instead  of  being  tied  with  cord,  as  is  usually 
the  oaae  on  such  occasions,  and,  at  his  own  reouest,  his 
«nn«  were  not  pinioned.  He  wore  a  pair  of  black  kid 
l^ves,  and  the  wrists  of  his  shirt  were  viaible  below 
&e  cnffg  of  hia  eoat  k»  on  the  laxt  da^  of  his  briai, 
he  wore  a  white  cravat.  The  irons,  which  were  very 
heavy,  and  consisted  of  a  euoceseion  of  chain  links, 
were  still  on  his  legs,  and  were  held  up  in  the  middle 
by  a  Belcher  handkorohief  tied  round  his  waiet 

The  executioner  commenced  his  mournful  dnties  by 
taking  from  tho  anbappy  prisoner  his  cravet  and  c<^ar. 
To  obviate  «11  diffioulty  in  this  stage  of  tho  prooeedinga, 
Thurtell  flang  back  his  head  and  neok,  and  bo  garo  Uie 
axeeutianpj  an  opportunity  of  immediately  aiveBting 


him  of  that  part  of  hi«  dress.     After  tying  the  ro^ 
round  Tburteirs  neck,  tho  exeontioner  drew  a  white 


cotton  cap  over  his  oountenanoo,  whieh  did  not,  how- 
ever, conceal  tho  contour  of  bis  face,  or  deprive  him 
entirely  of  the  view  of  surrounding  objects. 

At  th»t  moment  the  clock  sounded  the  lost  stroke  of 
twelve.  Daring  the  whole  of  Uiis  appalling  ceremony, 
there  woe  not  the  slightest  symptom  of  emotion  discor- 
nible  in  his  fcotnrcs.;  his  demeanoar  was  perfectly  calm 
and  tranquil,  and  he  behaved  like  s  man  acquainted 
with  the  drendfbl  ordeal  he  was  about  tn  pass,  but  not 
unprepared  to  meet  it  Though  his  fortitude  was  thus 
conspicuous,  it  was  evident  from  his  appearance  that  in 
the  interval  between  bis  conviction  and  bis  axeeution 
he  must  hare  Buffered  raueh.  He  looked  careworn ;  hia 
countenance  bad  asaumed  a  cadaverous  hue,  and  thore 
was  a  hoggardnoss  and  lonkBcas  about  his  cheeks  and 
mouth,  which  could  not  Xatl  to  attract  the  notice  of 
every  spectator. 

The  executioner  next  proceeded  to  adjnst  the  nooae 
by  which  Thurtell  was  to  be  attached  to  the  scafUld. 
After  he  bad  fastened  it  in  such  a^raannc4-  as  to  satisfy 
his  own  mind,  Thurtell  looked  up  at  it,  and  examined 
it  with  great  attention.  He  then  desired  the  execu- 
tioner to  let  him  have  fall  enough.  The  rope  at  this 
moment  aecraed  as  if  it  would  only  give  a  fall  of  two  or 
three  feet  The  executioner  assured  him  that  the  Call 
was  quite  sufficient.  The  principal  turnkey  then  went 
up  to  Thurtell,  shook  bands  with  him,  and  turned  away 
in  tear*.  Ut  Wilson,  the  governor  of  the  gaol,  next 
opprooched  him.  Thurtell  said  to  him,  "  Do  yon 
think,  Mr  Wilson,  I  have  got  enough  fall?"  Ut 
Wilson  re|died,  "  J  think  yon  have,  Sir.  Tea,  quite 
enough.'  Mr  Wileon  then  took  hold  of  his  hand, 
shook  !t,  and  said,  "  Good  bve,  Mr  Thurtell,  may  Ood 
Almiehty  blem  you."  Thurtell  Instantly  replied, 
"  Ood  bWi  fou.  Mr  Wilson,  Ood  bless  you."  Mr 
Wilaoo  next  asked  him  whether  he  consider^  that  the 
laws  of  his  country  had  been  dealt  to  him  justly  and 
feirly,  upon  which  bo  said,  "  I  admit  that  justice  baa 
been  done  me — I  am  perfeotly  satisfied." 

A  few  seconde  then  elapsed,  during  which  every 
person  seemed  to  be  eo^faged  in  examining  narrowly 
Thnrtell's  deportment  His  features,  as  well  as  they 
could  be  discerned,  appeared  to  remain  unmoved,  ond 
bis  hands,  which  vtn  extremely  prominent,  continued 
perfect'y  steadjr,  and  were  not  affected  by  the  slightest 
tromolous  motion. 

Exactly   at  two   minutes  past    twelve  the   Under- 

Sheriff,  with  his  wand,  gave  the  dreadful  sifprnl Uw 

drop  suddenly  and  silently  fell— and 

JoHII   ToCXtSU   WAS   LIITSCRZD 

nrio  Erxurmr. 


THE  CATNACH   PRESS.  73 

On  the  loth  of  September,  1824,  Henry  Fauntleroy,  of  the 
firm  of  Marsh,  Stracey,  Fauntleroy,  and  Graham,  bankers,  in 
Berners -street,  was  apprehended  in  consequence  of  its  being 
discovered  that  in  September,  1820,  ;^  10,000  3  per  cent,  stock, 
standing  in  the  names  of  himself,  J.  D,  Hume,  and  John  Good- 
child,  as  trustees  of  Francis  William  Bellis,  had  been  sold  out 
under  a  power  of  attorney,  to  which  the  names  of  his  co-trustees 
and  some  of  the  subscribing  witnesses  were  forged.  It  was  soon 
ascertained  that  the  extent  to  which  this  practice  had  been 
carried  was  enormous,  no  less  than  ;£"  170,000  stock  having 
been  sold  out  in  1814  and  181 5  by  the  same  fraudulent 
means. 

Every  exertion  was  used  by  Mr.  Fauntleroy's  counsel,  his  case 
being  twice  argued  before  the  Judges,  but  both  decisions  were 
against  him ;  and  on  the  30th  of  November,  1824,  his  execution 
took  place.  The  number  of  persons  assembled  was  estimated  at 
nearly  100,000. 

The  station  in  society  of  this  unfortunate  man,  and  the  long- 
established  respectabihty  of  the  banking-house,  in  which  he  was 
the  most  active  partner,  with  the  vast  extent  of  the  forgeries 
committed,  gave  to  his  case  an  intensity  of  interest  which  has 
scarcely  ever  been  equalled,  and  during  the  whole-  time  it  was 
pending  afforded  plenty  of  work  for  the  printers  and  vendors  of 
street  literature.  Catnach's  advanced  position,  which  was 
now  far  beyond  all  his  compeers,  caused  him  to  get  the  lion^s 
share.  Every  incident  in  the  man's  character,  history,  and 
actions  was  taken  advantage  of.  The  sheets,  almost  wet  from 
the  press,  were  read  by  high  and  low  ;  by  those  who  lived  and 
revelled  in  marble  halls  and  gilded  saloons,  as  well  as  by  those 
who  thronged  our  large  towns  and  centres  of  industry. 


74  .  THE   HISTORY  OF 

The  parliamentary  election  of  1826,  for  the  county  of  Nor- 
thumberland, the  principal  seat  of  which  was  at  AUiwick,  gave 
early  promise  of  being  severely  contested.  There  were  four  candi- 
dates in  the  field,  namely,  Henry  Thomas  Liddell,  afterwards 
first  Earl  of  Ravensworth,  of  Ravensworth  Castle,  county 
Durham ;  Mr.  Matthew  Bell,  of  Woolsingham,  Northumberland  ; 
Mr.  Thomas  Wentworth  Beaumont,  and  Lord  Howick,  after- 
wards Henry  the  third  Earl  Grey,  K.G.  The  nomination  of  the 
candidates  took  place  on  Tuesday,  June  20th,  1826,  and  the 
polling  continued  till  July  6th,  when  the  result  was  as  follows  : — 

Liddell 1562 

Bell      1380 

Beaumont        1335 

Howick  997 

This  contest  was  the  greatest  political  event  in  the  history  of 
the  county.  It  is  estimated  that  it  cost  the  candidates  little 
short  of  ;£'2  50, 000. 

Now,  as  we  have  before  observed,  Mr.  Mark  Smith — who  till 
the  time  of  his  death,  on  the  i8th  of  May,  1881,  aged  87 — 
carried  on  the  business  of  printer  and  bookseller  at  Alnwick — 
and  James  Catnach,  were  fellow  apprentices,  both  being  bound 
to  learn  the  art  of  printing  to  the  elder  Catnach  on  the  same  day. 
This  early-formed  acquaintanceship  continued  throughout  the 
remaining  portion  of  Catnach's  life,  and  whenever  Mr.  Mark 
Smith  came  to  London  in  after  years,  he  always  visited  Jemmy's 
house. 

It  was  in  consequence  of  the  continued  friendship  existing 
between  Mr.  Mark  Smith  and  Jemmy  Catnach  that  the  latter 
had  often  expressed  a  desire  to  serve  his  fellow-apprentice, 
should  circumstances  occur  to  render  it  necessary.     The  Aln- 


THE  CATNACH   PRESS.  75 

wick  election  of  1826  promised  to  be  a  good  one  as  regarded 
printing,  and  Mr.  Smith  anticipating  a  difficulty  in  getting 
through  his  work,  applied  to  Catnach  to  know  if  he  could  render 
him  any  assistance.  The  result  was  that  Jemmy  at  once 
proffered  to  go  to  Alnwick  and  take  with  him  a  small  hand-press. 
After  his  arrival  he  seldom  went  out  of  the  house,  as  all  hands 
worked  early  and  late,  for,  besides  addresses,  squibs,  &c.,  they 
had  to  get  out  the  state  of  the  poll  every  afternoon,  shortly  after 
four  o'clock.  The  number  of  addresses  and  squibs,  in  prose 
and  verse,  during  this  memorable  election  was  enormous.  The 
whole,  when  collected  together,  forms  four  good-sized  volumes. 
The  principal  printers  in  Alnwick  at  this  time,  and  who  were 
engaged  by  the  candidates,  were  Smith,  Davison,  and  Graham. 
But  there  was  a  great  deal  of  printing  done  at  Newcastle,  Gates- 
head, North  Shields,  Morpeth,  and  other  towns. 

There  can  be  but  little  doubt  that  all  who  were  profession- 
ally engaged  at  this  election  made  a  good  thing  out  of  it.  The 
money  spent  upon  printing  alone  must  have  been  very  great. 
And  nearly  all  the  public-houses  in  Alnwick  were  made  "  open 
houses,"  as  well  as  most  of  those  in  the  principal  towns  through- 
out the  county.  Old  people  talk  to  this  day,  with  a  degree 
of  pride  of  **  those  good  old  times  "  that  existed  at  the  Parlia- 
mentary elections  previous  to  the  passing  of  the  Reform  Bill  of 
1832.  As  far  as  Catnach  was  concerned,  he  merely  went  to 
help  to  pay  off  a  deep  debt  of  gratitude  owing  by  him  to  the 
Smith  family  for  many  past  favours  to  his  own  family  when  they 
were  in,  dire  distress  in  auld  lang  syne.  Besides,  Jemmy  was 
now  getting  towards  that  state  known  as  being  "  comfortably 
well-to-do,"  and  the  trip  was  a  change  of  air — a  bit  of  a  holiday, 
and  a  visit  to  the  town  of  his  birth.     And  as  he  had  buried  his 

L  2 


76  THE   HISTORY   OF 

mother  in  London  during  the  early  part  of  the  year,  he  took  the 
opportunity  to  erect  in  the  parish  churchyard,  that  which  at 
once  stands  as  a  cenotaph  and  a  tombstone,  bearing  the  follow- 
ing inscription : —  ^ 
**JOHN,  Son  of  John  Catnach, 

Printer,  died  August  27th, 
1 794,  Aged  5  years  &  7  months. 
JOHN  CATNACH  died  in 
London,  181 3,  Aged  44. 
Mary,  his  wife  died  Jany. 
24th,  1826,  Aged  60  years, 
Also  John,  Margaret,  and 
Jane  Catnach,  lie  here."  *' 

During  Catnach's  absence  from  London  on  the  Alnwick 
election,  his  old  rivals— the  Pitts  family — were,  as  usual,  con- 
cocting false  reports,  and  exhibiting  lampoons,  after  the  follow- 
ing manner : — 

**  Poor  Jemmy  with  the  son  of  Old  Nick, 
Down  to  Northumberland  he's  gone ; 
To  take  up  his  freedom  at  Alnwick, 
The  why  or  the  wherefore's  known  to  none. 

**  Before  he  went,  he  washed  in  soap  and  sud. 

The  Alnwick  folks  they  found  the  fiddle  ; 
Then  they  dragged  poor  Jemmy  through  the  mud. 
Two  foot  above  his  middle. 

The  above  was  in  allusion  to  the  old  ceremony  of  being 
dragged  through  the  dirty  pool  to  be  made  a.  Freeman  of  the 
town  of  Alnwick.  But,  as  far  as  Catnach  was  concerned,  there 
is  no  truth  whatever  in  the  matter,  it  was  simply  "  a  weak  in- 
vention of  the  enemy."  It  was  in  the  latter  part  of  June  and 
the  beginning  of  July  in  the  same  year,  that  Catnach  was  at 
Alnwick,  and  the  ceremony  of  making  freemen  always  took  place 
on  St.  Mark's  Day,  April  25th,  or  at  least  two  months  earlier. 

*  The  above  copied,  verbatim  At  our  request,  by  Mr.  George  Skelly, 
of  Alnwick. 


THE   CATNACH   PRESS.  77 

Thus  the  statement  of  the  Pitts'  party  was — 

♦'As  false 
As  air,  as  water,  as  wind,  as  sandy  earth, 
As  fox  to  lamb,  as  wolf  to  heifer's  calf, 
Pard  to  the  hind,  or  step-dame  to  her  son." 

Catnach,  as  the  high  priest  of  the  literature  of  the  streets,  sur- 
rounded by  trade  rivals,  "  stood  like  a  man  at  a  mark  with  a 
whole  army  shooting  at  him,"  but  he  was  as  firm  as  a  rock  and 
with  the  strength  of  a  giant,  and,  as  Hyperion  to  a  Satyr,  defied 
them  all. 

The  destruction  of  the  Royal  Brunswick  Theatre,  Well-street, 
Wellclose-square,  East  London,  on  the  29th  of  February,  1828, 
by  the  falling  in  of  the  walls,  in  consequence  of  too  much  weight 
being  attached  to  the  heavy  cast-iron  roof,  made  a  rare  nine- 
day's  wonder  for  the  workers  of  street-papers.  Fortunately  the 
catastrophe  happened  in  the  day-time,  during  the  rehearsal  of 
"  Guy  Mannering,"  and  only  fifteen  persons  perished,  viz  : — 

Mr.  D.  S.  Maurice,  a  master  printer,  of  Fenchurch-street,  one  of  the 
Proprietors, 

Mr.  J.  Evans    ...  Bristol  Observer  Mr.  J.  Purdy      ...       Blacksmith^ 

Miss  Mary  A.  Feron    ...    Actress^  Messrs.  J.  Miles,  W.  Leader,  A. 

Miss  Freeman    ...  Corps  de  ballet^  W.Davidson,  M,  Miles,  and  J. 

Mr.  E.  Gilbert      ...       Cotnedian^  Abbott      Carpenters, 

Mr.  J.  Blamire  ...  Property  Man,  J.  Levy,  A  Clot/iesman  (accident- 
Mr.  G.  Penfold     ...     Doorkeeper,  ally  passing). 
Miss  Jane  Wall        ...         Visitor, 

"  Oh  yes,  sir  !  I  remember  well  the  falling  of  the  Brunswick 
Theatre,  out  Whitechapel  way.  It  was  a  rare  good  thing  for  all 
the  running  and  standing  patterers  in  and  about  ten  miles  of 
London.  Every  day  we  all  killed  more  and  more  people — in 
our  "  Latest  Particulars."  One  day  there  was  twenty  per- 
sons killed,  the  next  day  thirty  or  forty,  until  it  got  at  last  to  be 
worked  up  to  about  a  hundred,  and  all  killed.  Then  we  killed 
all  sorts  of  people,  Duke  of  Wellington,  and  all  the  Dukes  and 
Duchesses,  Bishops,  swell  nobs  and  snobs  we  could  think  of  at 
the  moment." 


78 


THE    HISTORY   OF 


ATROCIOUS  MURDER   OF  A   YOUNG  WOMAN 
IN     SUFFOLK. 

SINGULAR   DISCOVERY   OF   THE    BODY 
FROM    A    DREAM. 


The  Red  Barn. 

the  scene  of  the  murder,  and  where  the  body  of  maria 
marten  was  found  concealed. 


Four  years  after  the  Thurtell  and  Weare  affair,  namely,  in  the 
month  of  April,  1828,  another  '' sensational "  murder  was  dis- 
covered— that  of  Maria  Marten,  by  William  Corder,  in  the  Red 
Barn,  at  Polstead,  in  the  county  of  Suffolk.  The  circumstances 
that  led  to  the  discovery  of  this  most  atrocious  murder,  were  of 
an  extraordinary  and  romantic  nature,  and  manifest  an  almost 
special  interposition  of  Providence  in  marking  out  the  offender. 
As  the  mother  of  the  girl  had  on  three  several  nights  dreamt 
that  her  daughter  was  murdered  and  buried  in  Corder's  Red 
Barn,  and  as  this  proved  to  be  the  case,  an  additional  "  charm" 
was  given  to  the  circumstance.  The  "  Catnach  Press "  was 
again  set  working  both  day  and  night,  to  meet  the  great  demand 
for  the  "  Full  Particulars."  In  due  course  came  the  gratifying 
announcement  of  the  apprehension  of  the  murderer !  and  the 
sale  continued  unabatingly  in  both  town  and  country,  every 
"  Flying  Stationer  "  making  great  profits  by  the  sale. 


THE  CATNACH   PRESS. 


19 


Likeness  of  William  Ccrder. 

The  trial  of  Corder  took  place  at  Bury  St.  Edmonds,  on  the 
7th  of  August,  1828,  before  the  Lord  Chief  Baron  (Anderson). 
The  prisoner  pleaded  "  JVot  Guilty^'  and  the  trial  proceeded. 
On  being  called  on  for  his  defence,  Corder  read  a  manuscript 
paper.  He  declared  that  he  deeply  deplored  the  death  of  the 
unfortunate  deceased,  and  he  urged  the  jury  to  dismiss  from 
their  minds  all  that  prejudice  which  must  necessarily  have  been 
excited  against  him  by  the  public  press,  &c.  Having  concluded 
his  address,  the  Lord  Chief  Baron  summed  up,  and  a  verdict  of 
**  Guilty  "  was  returned.  The  Last  Dying  Speech  and  Confes- 
fession  had  an  enormous  sale — estimated  at  1,166,000,  2,  fac- 
simile  copy  of  which  with  the  **  Lamentable  Verses,"  said  to  have 
been  written  by  Old  Jemmy  Catnach  will  be  found  on  the 
next  page 


8o 


THE   HISTORY   OF 


CONTESSIOH  AJD  EZECUTIOH  OF 
THE  SrUBDERER  OF  MABIA  MABTEN. 


Since  tho  tragical  affair  between  Thurtell  and  Wearo, 
DO  erent  has  occurred  connected  with  the  criminal 
■nnala  of  oar  country  which  has  excited  so  much 
interest  as  the  trial  of  Corder,  who  was  justly  conrioted 
of  the  mawler  irf  liana  Marten  on  Friday  Inat. 

THE    CONFESSION 
"Buy  OmI,   Aagust    lOth,    1828.— Condcmnr<d  celt 
"Sunday  evening,  half-paitt  Elorou. 

"1  aoknowMge  being  guilty  of  the  death  of  poor 
Maria  Marten,  by  shooting  her  with  a  pistol.  The 
partioulars  are  ••  follows  : — When  we  left  her  father's 
honae,  we  began  quarrelling  about  the  burial  of  the 
child:  she  apprehended  the  place  wherein  it  was 
depoaited  would  be  found  out.  The  quarrel  continued 
about  three  quarters  of  an  hour  upon  this  sad  and 
about  other  subjects.  A  scuffle  ensued,-  and  during  tho 
Kuffle,  and  at  the  time  I  think  that  she  had  hold  of  me, 
I  took  the  pistol  from  the  side  pocket  of  my  velveteen 
jacket  and  fired.  She  fell,  and  died  in  an  instant.  I 
never  saw  her  even  struggle.  I  was  overwhelmed  with 
ogiiation  and  diamay  : — the  body  fell  near  the  front 
doon  on  the  floor  of  the  bam.  A  vast  quantity  of 
blood  issued  from  the  wound,  and  ran  on  to  the  floor 
and  through  the  crevices.  Having  determined  to  bury 
the  body  in  the  bam  (about  two  hours  after  sh&  was 
dead.  I  went  and  borrowed  a  spado  of  Mrs  Stow,  but 
before  I  went  there  I  dragged  the  body  from  the  bam 
into  the  chaff-house,  and  locked  the  bam.  I  returned 
again  to  the  barn,  and  began  to  dig  a  hole,  but  the 
spade  being  a  bad  one,  and  Qio  earth  nrm  and  hard,  I 
was  obiigMi  to  go  home  for  a  pickaxe  and  a  better 
■pade,  with  whion  I  dug  the  bole,  and  then  buried  tho 
body.  I  think  I  dragged  the  body  by  the  handkerchief 
that  was  tied  round  her  neck.  It  was  dark  when  I 
finished  covering  up  the  body.  I  went  the  next  day, 
and  washed  the  blood  from  off  the  barn-floor.  I  declare 
to  Almighty  God  I  had  no  sharp  instrument  about  me, 
and  no  other  wound  bat  the  one  made  by  the  pistol  was 
inflicted  by  me.  I  have  been  guilty  of  great  idleness, 
and  itt  times  led  a  dissolute  life,  but  I  hope  through  the 
meroy  of  Ood  to  be  forgiven.     "WrujiX  CoBoaa." 

Witness  to  the  signing  by  the  said  William  Corder, 
Jsaiit  Oa&iDoa. 
CoodAmned  cIbU,  Ekven  o'cIooIl,  Monday  morning, 
August  llth,  1828. 

The  above  ooniessioo  was  read  over  carefully  to  the 
prisoner  in  our  presence,  who  stated  most  solemnly  it 
was  true,  and  that  he  had  nothing  to  add  to  or  retract 
tlom  it. — W.  SrocKUro,  chaplain  ;  Tikotet  R.  Holmrs, 
Under-Shenff. 

THE    EXECUTION. 

At  ten  minutes  before  twelve  o'clock  the  prisoner  was 
brought  from  his  cell  and  pinioned  by  the  hangman, 
who  was  brought  from  London  for  the  purpose.  He 
appeared  resigned,  but  was  so  week  as  to  be  unable  to 
•land  without  support ;  when  his  cravat  was  reoiovcd 
he  groaned  heavily,  and  appeared  to  be  labouring  uadtir 
great  mental  agony.  When  bi.i  wrists  and  arms  were 
msde  fast,  he  was  M  round  twnrds  the  scaffold,  and 


as  he  pusHed  the  difl^?mnt  jmrds  in  which  tho 
were  confined,  he  shook  bands  with  them,  and  speaking 
to  two  of  thuni  by  name,  he  said,  "  Oood  bye,  Ood 
bless  yon."  Thny  appeared  considerably  affected  hj 
the  wreto.hiMl  appearance  which  be  made,  and  "  Ood 
blesH  yon  !"  "  May  Go<l  receive  your  soul !"  wer« 
frequently  utlvrod  a:<  he  passed  along.  The  chaplain 
walkod  bt:forc  tho  prisoner,  reoiling  the  usual  Burial 
Surviac,  and  the  Governor  nitd  Ofieera  walking  imme- 
diatcly  afl4.-r  hint.  Tho  prisoner  was  supported  to  the  ' 
steps  whiah  led  to  tho  scaffold ;  he  looked  somewhat 
wildly  around,  and  a  constable  wss  oblijjed  to  support 
him  while  tho  hangman  wns  adjustiog  the  fatal  cord. 
Thoi-e  was  a  barrier  to  keep  off  the  crowd,  amountitig 
to  upwards  of  7,000  persone,  who  at  this  time  had 
stationed  themselves  id  the  adjoining  fields,  on  the 
hedges,  the  tops  of  houses,  and  at  every  point  from 
which  a  vie'if  of  the  execution  oould  be  best  obtained. 
The  prisoner,  a  few  moments  before  the  drop  fell, 
groaned  heavily,  and  would  have  fcUen,  had  not  • 
second  constable  caught  hold  of  bim.  Everything 
having  been  m.idc  ready,  the  signal  was  given,  the 
fatal  drop  fell,  Mud  the  unfortunate  man  was  launched 
into  eternity.  Just  before  he  was  turned  off,  he  naid  in 
a  feeble  tone,  "I  am  justly  sentenced,  and  may  Ood 
forgive  me  " 

The  Murder  of  Maria  Marten. 

BY  W.  CORDER. 

MB    all  Toa   tboagbUoat   jrosag  mea,  •  vaniiBf  take   by 

m% 
I  tbtok  upou  ny  nabanpy  hte  to  b«  hai>g«d  apoa  •  tnt ; 
My  Dsme  ia  William  CotOer,  to  yon  1  do  decUra, 
I  oourt«d  Maha  Uartao,  moat  baanbAil  and  fair. 
I  promised  I  woold  majry  hef  npoa  a  oartaia  d«y, 
Instaad  of  that,  I  waa  naolTo)  to  take  bar  lih  away.  , 

1  Vdtii  iiito  hor  father'!  koaae  tb«  18th  dar  of  May, 
Sayng,  my' dear  Maria,  w»  will  fix  the' wadding  day. 
If  yoo  irill  BiMt  ai«  at  the  Rad-Wn,  n  rare  aa  I  hart  life, 
I  wiU  take  you  to  Ipswiob  town,  aad  there  loake  yoo  my  wifk ; 
I  then  went  home  and  fetched  my  ^un,   my  p<ckaM  ana  aiy  apadt, 
I  weot  into  the  Bad-barn,  and  there  1  du^  Uer  grara. 
With  heart  ao  light,  ahe  thoof^ht  no  harm,  to  meet  him  abe  did  gn 
Be  mnrdared  her  all  in  the  bvn,  and  laid  her  body  low  : 
After  the  horrible  deed  waa  done,  »h«  lay  welterinr  in  b«r  gon. 
Her  MeedlBg  mangb<d  body  h«  baried  beneath  the  Red- barn  KimWs 
Now  all  thinn  being  aileut,  her  miirit  ooald  not  reat, 
3ha  appeared  onto  Set  mother,  who  aackled  her  at  her  breaal , 
For  many  a  long  month  or  more,   her  mind  being  ao«a  nppfeaa'd, 
Neither  night  or  day  ahe  conld  1x4  take  any  reat. 
Her  moOrar'a  mind  heiog  so  diaturbed,  ahe  drHunt  three  aiffhia 

o'er, 
Her  daoghter  abe  lay  mnrdered  beneath  the  ItAd-bam  Soot; 
She  acDt  the  father  to  the  bam,  when  he  the  gTt>iu>d  did  thnutt. 
And  there  he  fouud  hia  daoghter  loiugling  with  the  i\ut. 
K;  trial  ia  hftnl,  I  eoold  not  ttaad,  moat  weaftU  wu  the  ai^bt. 
When   her  jaw-bone  waa  brongbl  to  proit.    which  pierced  any 

heart  <jnite ; 
Her  aged  father  aUnding  bv,  Hkewiae  hia  loriag  wife. 
And  iu  her  grief  her  bair  ahe  tore,  ahe  acartely  ronld  keep  life. 
Adien,  ndiro,  my  loTiBg  frienda,  rot  glaea  i.^  ainioat  mn. 
Oa  Monday  next  will  be  my  last,  whea  1  am  to  be  bivng'd  , 
So  yo<i,  yoong  mar.,  who  do  paaa  by.  with  pity  look  on  ma, 
For  montering  Maria  Marten,  I  waa  hang  d  opoa  the  tree> 


pOMB 
Aad  think 


Piiitad  br  i.  CalMati,  1  and  i,  MMB«atli  Oowt.- Cards,  4«  .  rtteisd  C»Mp 


THE  CATNACH   PRESS. 


8l 


"Oh,  she  lives  snug  in  the  Holy  Ivand, 
Right,  tight,  and  merry  in  the  Holy  Land, 
Search  the  globe  round,  none  can  be  found 
So  accommodating  I  as  Old  Mother  Cummins— of  the  Holy  Land." 


Catnach,  like  many  others  connected  with  the  getting  up  of  news 
broadsides  and  fly-sheets,  did  not  always  keep  clear  of  the  law. 
The  golden  rule  is  a  very  fine  one,  but,  unfortunately,  it  is  not 
always  read  aright ;  in  some  cases  injured  innocence  flies  at  ex- 
tremes. Jemmy  Catnach  for  a  long  time  had  been  living  upon 
unfriendly  terms  with  a  party  connected  with  the  management  of 
one  of  Mother  Cummins's  lodging-house  establishments  in  the 
immediate  neighbourhood,  so  out  of  spite  printed  a  pamphlet, 
purporting  to  be  the  "Life  and  Adventures  of  Old  Mother 
Cummins."  Here  Catnach  had  reckoned  without  his  host,  by 
reason  of  his  not  taking  into  consideration  the  extensive  aristo- 
cratic and  legal  connection  Mother  Cummins  had  for  her  friends 
and  patrons.  The  moment  she  was  made  acquainted  with  the 
''^dhty  parjury''''  that  Jemmy  Catnach  had  printed  and  caused  to 

M 


82  THE    HISTORY   OF 

be  publicly  circulated,  she  immediately  gave  instructions  to  her 
Attorney  General  to  prosecute  the  varmint^  when  a  warrant  was 
applied  for  and  obtained  to  search  the  premises  of  the  Seven 
Dials  printer.  But  Catnach  got  the  news  of  the  intended  visit 
of  the  Bow  Street  Runners,  and  naturally  became  alarmed  from 
having  a  vivid  recollection  of  the  punishment  and  costs  in  the 
case  of  the  Drury-lane  sausage  makers,  so  the  forme  containing 
the  libellous  matter  was  at  once  broken  up — "  pied,"  that  is,  the 
type  was  jumbled  together  and  left  to  be  properly  distributed  on 
a  future  occasion.  What  stock  of  the  pamphlets  remained  were 
hastily  packed  up  and  carried  off  to  the  "  other  side  of  the 
water  "  by  John  Morgan,  one  of  Catnach's  poets  !  while  another 
forme,  consisting  of  a  Christmas-sheet,  entitled  "  The  Sun  of 
Righteousness,"  was  hurriedly  got  to  press,  and  all  hands  were 
working  away  full  of  assumed  innocence  when  the  officers  from 
Bow  Street  arrived  at  Monmouth-court,  when,  after  a  diligent 
search,  they  had  very  reluctantly  to  come  to  the  conclusion  that 
they  were  "  a  day  behind  the  fair,"  and  that  the  printer  had 
been  a  little  too  sharp  for  them  this  time.  But  Mother  Cum- 
mins did  not  mean  to  be  so  checkmated  by  Catnach  and  Co., 
and  vowed  to  pursue  him  and  his  dirty  blackguards  to  the  end 
of  the  world  and  back  again,  and  instructed  her  lawyers  to  serve 
him  with  several  notices  of  action  for  libel,  defamation  of 
character,  and,  more  particular,  as  she  expressed  it,  for  ''parjury" 
Then  Catnach  became  somewhat  alarmed  by  her  known  vindic- 
tive disposition  and  long  purse,  that  he  consulted  his  own 
solicitor  in  the  matter,  who  took  "counsel's  opinion"  when  an 
instant  compromise  at  all  costs,  together  with  an  ample  apology, 
was  recommended  as  the  only  safe  way  out  of  the  dilemma ;  a 
course  which  was  ultimately  agreed  to  by  both  sides.  An 
apology  was  drawn  up  and  approved  of,  with  the  understanding 


THE   CATNACH   PRESS.  83 

that  Catnach  was,  after  paying  all  costs  incurred  to  print  the 
apology  and  publish  the  same  on  three  several  places  in  front  of 
his  business  premises  in  Monmouth  Court  for  fourteen  clear 
days.  All  this — and  more — Jemmy  promised  steadfastly  to 
observe.  Yet  in  effect,  he  evaded  the  conditions  by  printing  the 
apology  in  small  pica  type  and  sticking  the  three  copies  so  high 
up  on  the  premises,  that  it  would  have  required  Sam  Weller's 
"  pair  of  double  million  magnifying  gas  microscopes  of  hextra 
power  "  to  have  been  able  to  read  the  same. 

Immediately  after  Mother   Cummins's  death  and  funeral, 
March,  1828,  the  following  announcement  appeared  : — 

Published    this    Day,    Price    Sixpence^    embellished  -  with    a 
humorous    Coloured  Plate. 

THE    LIFE    AND    ADVENTURES    OF 

MOTHER     CUMMINS, 

The  celebrated  Lady  Abbess  of  St.  Giles's;  with  a  curious 
Description,  Regulations,  &c.,  of  her  singular  Establishment. 
An  account  of  her  Funeral,  &c.  Interspersed  with  numerous 
Anecdotes  of  Living  Characters,  Visitors  of  Mother  Cummins's 
Nunnery, — Capt.  Shiels  and  the  Forty-four  Nuns — Poll  Hankey 
and  Sir  Charles  Stanton,— Jane  Sealey  and  an  lUustrous  Person, 
&c. — With  an  Account  of  some  of  the  principal  Nuns  of  the 
Establishment;  particularly  Mrs.  Throgmorton  and  Lord 
Al.  .n..y — Bell  Chambers  and  the  D...  of  Y...,— Miss  Wilkinson 
and  Captain  Featherstone — Marianne  Hempstead,  the  Scotch 
Beauty — Miss  Weltem  Davis  and  the  Rev.  Mr.  H...l..y  Be..rs..d 
—Mary  Thomas,  the  Female  Chimney-Sweep,  and  Captain 
T...t...s,  &c 

M    2 


84 


THE   HISTORY  OF 


THE  TRIAL,  SENTENCE,  FULL  CONFESSION,  AND  EXECUTION  OF 

BISHOP    &   WILLIAMS, 


BUBXnfQ  AKB   BTTBEXRS. 

Tho  mooth  of  N«Tein1>er,  1831.  will  he  recorded  in 
tb«  annals  of  erime*  and  cni«lt)ea  as  paiticnlarly  pre- 
eminent, for  it  will  prove  to  posterity  that  other 
wretohea  conld  be  found  bate  enough  to  follow  the 
lionid  example  of  Borke  and  hia  accomplice  Hare,  to 
entice  the  nnptotected  and  friendless  to  the  den  of 
death  for  sordia  gain. 

The  horrible  crime  of  "  Borkuif;,'*  or  mnrdering  the 
crnwary  with  the  intention  of  selling  their  hodiei  at  a 
high  priee  to  the  anatomical  tcbeols,  for  the  pnrpoee  of 
disacction,  has  anfortanately  otytaiaed  a  notoriety  which 
will  not  be  soon  or  easily  forgotten.  It  took  its  horrify* 
ing  appellation  from  the  circometances  which  were 
diaclosed  on  the  trial  of  the  inhaman  wretch  Bnrke. 
who  was  executed  at  Edinburgh  in  1829,  for  baring 
wilfully  and  deliberately  murdered  several  persons  for 
the  sole  purpoae  of  profiting  by  the  s^e  of  their  dead 
bodioB. 

APPBEHEKSIOK   OF   THE 

BUEEEBS. 

Ob  Tuesday,  November  8tfa,  fou  penooa,  vis.,  John 


Bishop.  Thom»  Wmiiuns,  J«me»  M«y,  end  Michael 
8hiel4  were  examined  at  Bow  Street  Polioe  Offloe  on 
tho  charge  of  being  oonoemed  in  tho  wilfUl  murder  of 
OB  unknown  Itsdian  boy.  From  the  evidence  adduced, 
it  appeared  that  Muy,  oli<u  Jack  Stirabout,  a  known 
resurrection-miw  and  Bishop,  a  body-matcher,  .rffered 
at  King's  CoU^  a  eubjeot  for  sale,  Shield  ^ 
Williams  having  charge  of  the  body  in  a  hamper,  for 
which  they  demanded  twelve  guineas.  •  Mr  Partridge, 
demonatistor  of  anatomy,  who,  althoogb  not  in  absohrte 
want  of  a  eabject,  offered  nine  grrineaa,  but  being  struck 
with  ite  fteehnosB  sent  a  messenger  to  Uie  police  station, 
and  the  fellows  were  then  taken  into  custody,  examined 
before  the  magistrates,  when  Shield  was  diacharged  and 
the  others  ultimately  committed  for  triid 

THE   TKIAL. 

Friday,  December  2nd,  having  been  fixed  for  ^ 
trial  of  the  prisoners  charged  with  the  murder  of  tfca 
Italian  boy,  the  Comt  was  crowded  to  excew  so  ewrly 
its  ei^t  o'clock  ia  the  moniing 

ItBiM  e-olock  tha  DtV^iJ  B«>order.  Mr 


THE   CATNACH   PRESS. 


85 


Acattn,   cMie  ioto  tto   ooort,    whes    the    prisoiietr 
•eveiully  pleaited  "Not  Guilty." 
-  The  /-Jry  were  then  Bworn,  and  et  ton  o'clock  Chkf 
Justice  Tindal, Mr  Baron  Yeughan,  eind  MrJusticeLitUe- 
dalo  entered  tho  Court,  with  the  Lord  Mayor  and  SboriflFs. 

Tbo  Benqh  was  crowded  with  penona  of  rank, 
anwngtt  whom  wm  the  Duke  of  Soasex. 

Mr  Bodkin  having  opened  the  caso,  Mr  Adolpbus 
proooedod  to  stale  to  the  Jury  the  lending  facta,  as  they 
» sre  aftawarda  stated  in  the  evidence  prodncod.  The 
oxae  {cv  the  prosccation  hiiving  closed,  the.  priaonora 
were  callod  upon  for  their  defence. 

Tlio  pritiODcr  Bishop  in  his  defence  stated  Ukst  he 
rrKi  tb  ,rty-tbree  years  of  age,  sad  had  followed  the 
6c<:upation  of  carrier  till  the  la^  flve^  years,  during 
which  he  had  oocasionally  obtained  a  livelihood  by 
supplying  sur<^D8  with  sabiecta.  He  noet  solemnly 
declared  thftt  hs  had  never  dispoeed  of  any  body  that 
had  not  died  a  natural  death. 

Williams'  defence  beiefly  stated  that  he  bad  naver 
been  ongaged  in  the  calling  of  a  resurrectionist,  but 
had  otdy  by  accident  accompanied  Bishop  on  the  sale  of 
th?  ItaUan  boy's  body. 

Mar,  in  bis  defence,  admitted  that  for  the  last  erix 
yes.*s  oe  had  followed  the  occupation  o^  supplying  the 
Dedjr«l  school)  with  aoatomical  subjects,  bat  disclaimed 
ever  having  had  anything  to  do  with  the  sale  of  bodies 
vtuch  had  not  died  a  natural  death.  That  he  had 
aecideo tally  met  with  Bishop  at  (he  Fortune  of  War 
public  house  on  the  Friday  on  which  the  body  was 
taken  for  sale  to  Guy's  Hospital. 

At  eight  o'olook  the  jurj  retii-ed  to  oonsidei  their 


.*erdiet*,BDd'on  their  jetnrn  ihay  fevnd  the  pritonen 
were  Gnilty  of  Murder. 

'The  Becord^  then  passed  the  awAii  eentcoc4<  upon 
them.  "Tha^  each  of  them  be, hanged  on  Mopday 
moniing,  and  their  bodies  be  delivci^  over  for  diaaee- 
tion  find  anatomiiration." 

The  pii^oers  heard  thfL'^ntenoe  as  they  had  the 
Terdict,  without  any  visible  aUeration.  May  raised  hie 
voice,  and  m  a  fina  tone  aaid,  "  I  am  a  muniercd  man, 
gentkonea.'' 

TEE   BUU    CONFESSION    OF 
BISHOP  AND  WILLIAMS. 

On  Saturday  momijig  Villiama  addressed,  a  note  to 
Mr    Woutner,    sta^g    that   ho    end    Bishop   wanted 

rioularly  to  soe  him  and  Dr.  Cotton,  the  Oniinary. 
the  oouiw)  of  the  interview  which  immediatelT 
followed,  both  prieoners  made  a  full  confession  of  their 
guilt,  both  exculpating  May  altogether  from  being  party 
to  any  of  ttte  murders.  Having  received  the  confes- 
sions, Mr  Wohtner  immediately  waited  upon  Mr  Justioa 
Littiedale  and  Baron  Vaughan,  and  upon  communicat- 
ing to  them  the  statements,  they  said  they  would  at  once 
see  the  Home  Secretary  on  the  subjoct 

On  Sunday  morting  the  Sberifis  vlaitod  all  three  of 
the  prisoners  in  succ^s&ion,  and  with  the  trnder-Sberiffa 
were  engaged  between  three  and  four  hours  in  taldflg 
down  the  statements  of  the  uenviets.  The  result  of  all 
these  investigations  was  that  the  same  afternoon  a 
respite  during  his  Majesty's  pleasure  arrived  at  New^ 
g«t«  for  May,  and  hia  taentence  will  he  commated  to 
transportation  for  life. 


THE      EXECUTION. 


During  the  whole  of  Sunday  crowds  of  persons  ■^n- 
gre^ted  in  the  Qld  Bailey,  and  the  spot  on  which  the 
ecaobld  was  to  be  erected  was  covered  with  individuals 
convening  on  the  horrid  crimes  of  the  convicts,  and  in 
the  ooorse  of  tho  day  strong  posts  were  erected  in  the 
Old  Bailey  and  at  the  ends  of  Newgate  street  Giltspur 
fitroet,  and  Skinner  street,  for  the  purpose  of  \ornung 
barriers  to  break  the  pressure  of  the  crowd. 

At  half-past  twelve  o'clock  the  gallows  was  brought 
out  fVom  the  yard,  and  drawn  to  its  ustial  station 
opposite  the  I>ebtor'8  door.  The  crowd,  as  early  as  one 
0  uock  amounting  U>  sever&l  thousand  petsans,  con- 
tinued rapidly  increasing. 

By  some  oversight  three  chains  had  been  suspended 
Atom  the  &tal  b^im,  an4  this  led  the  crowd  to  suppose 
that  May  had  not  been  respited.  Mr.  Wontnor,  on 
bearing  of  the  mistake,  directed  that  one  of  the  chains 
should  be  tgmnTed.  'J'he  nioment  this  was  done  en 
exclamation  of  "May  is  r^pited,"  ran  th.ough  the 
crowd,  and,  contrary  to  the  expected  tokens  of  indigna- 
tion, distinct  cheer«  were  heard  amongst  the  crowd  on 
witaeaang  this  token  that  mercy  had  been  Aown  to 
May 

At  half-past  aJeven  the  Sherifb  arrived  in  their 
earriage,  and  in  a  short  time  the  press- yard  was 
Uuxxncd  with  gentlemen.  The  unhappy  convict*  were 
«o#  iU  from  ueir  cells.     Bi^p  came  out  first,  and 


aftor  he  was  pinioned  he  was  conducted  to  a  seat,  and 
the  Bev.  Mr.  Williamysat  alongside  of  him,  aud  they 
conversed  together  in^a  low  t»ne  of  voice. 

Williams  was  Ait  introdueod,  and  the  wonderful 
alteration  two  dayS  had  effected  in  hir  appearance 
astonished  everyone  who  was  present  at  the  trial.  All 
the  bold  eonfldenee  he  exhibited  then  had  oompletely 
forsaken  him,  and  he  looked  the  most  njiserable  wretch 
it  is  poesible  to  conceive.  Ho  entered  the  room  with  a 
very  faltering  "Step,"  and  wheathe  ceremony  of  pinion- 
ing him  commenced,  he  wtw  so  weak  as  to  be  scarcely 
able  to  stand. 

Everything  being  ready,  the  molincholy  procession 
moved  forward.  Bishop  was  thea  condnctwl  to  the 
scaffold,  end  the  moment  he  mede  hi  appearance  tha 
most  dreadful-  yells  and  hootings  were  heard  among  the 
crowd.  The  executioner  proceeded  at  once,  to  the  per- 
formance of  his  duty,  and  having  put  the  rope  round 
his  neck  and  affixed  it  to  a  chain,  placed  him  under  ths 
fatal  beam.  Williams  was  then  taken  out,  aid  the 
groans  and  hisses  were  reneWed.  The  dreadful  pre- 
parations, were  scoa  completed,  end  in  less  than  fiva 
aiinutes  after  the  Tvretched  nuju  appeared  on  the  acaffold 
the  usual  tignal  was  given,  the  drop  fell,  and  they  i=^ere 
launched  into  eternity.  Bishop  appeared  to  die  vort 
soon,  but  Williams  stiucglod  hard.     Thus  died 

THB    DafiADFUL    BURSiaRS    OF    18«i# 


f  rtB«e«  ie  Uo«M  &«  tU  Veatok 


86  THE    HISTORY   OF 

It  may  be  remarked,  en  passant^  that  Mr.  Corder,  with 
ParagalH  and  Colla,  the  two  ItaHan  witnesses,  who  gave 
evidence  as  to  the  identity  of  the  body,  said  to  be  that  of 
the  Italian  boy,  at  the  trial  of  Bishop,  Williams,  and  May, 
appeared  at  Bow  Street,  in  consequence  of  doubts  being 
entertained  by  a  portion  of  the  public  as  to  the  body  being 
that  of  Carlo  Ferrari,  to  re-assert  their  former  evidence. 
Mr.  Corder  afterwards  published  a  statement  in  the  "Times" 
newspaper,  which  gave  scarcely  the  possibility  of  doubt  that 
the  body  offered  at  King's  College  must  have  been  that 
of  Ferrari  notwithstanding  the  murderer's  assertion  to  the 
contrary.  On  December  the  loth,  a  Post-obit  prosecution  of 
Williams,  the  Burkite  murderer,  took  place  in  the  Court  of 
Excise,  where  he  was  charged,  on  information,  with  having 
carried  on  an  illicit  factory  for  making  glass  at  No.  2,  Nova 
Scotia  Gardens,  Bethnal  Green.  An  officer  proved  the 
seizure  of  goods  used  in  the  manufacture  of  glass,  at  the 
house  of  the  person  charged,  and  that  Bishop  was  at  the 
time  in  company.     The  Court  condemned  the  goods  seized. 

A  drama  on  the  subject  of  the  "Burkers"  was  produced 
at  an  unlicensed  theatre,  designated  The  Shakespeare,  in 
the  Kingsland  Road,  and  not  far  from  Shoreditch  Church, 
and  for  a  time  was  specially  attractive.  In  the  young  actor, 
who  played  Carlo  Ferrari,  the  Italian  boy,  might  now  be 
recognised  an  eminent  tragedian.* 

*  E.  L.  Blanchard,  in  an  article  entitled,  "  Vanished  Theatres,'^  in 
the  Era  Almanack,  1877. 


THE   CATNACH   PRESS.  87 

Street-ballads  on  political  subjects,  though  not  regarded  as  of 
great  interest  by  the  whole  body  of  the  people,  are  still  eventful 
among  certain  classes,  and  for  such  the  street  author  and  ballad 
singer  cater.  The  measure  of  Reform  by  Earl  Grey's  adminis- 
tration, was  proposed  in  the  House  of  Commons  by  Lord  John 
Russell,  I  St  March,  1831.  On  the  first  division,  second  reading 
22nd  March,  there  stood  for  it,  302;  against  it,  301.  Ulti- 
mately, the  Bill  for  that  session  was  abandoned,  and  Parliament 
dissolved.  The  Reform  Bill  of  1832  was  read  for  the  /y^/>^time 
on  the  23rd  of  March,  when  the  numbers  stood  thus  : — for  the 
Bill,  355  j  against  it,  239 — majority  for  it,  116.  In  the  Lords, 
the  Bill  was  carried  through  the  Committee  on  the  30th  of  May, 
and  read  a  third  time  on  the  4th  of  June.  For  the  Bill,  106  ; 
against,  22 — majority,  84. 

During  the  whole  of  the  time  the  Reform  Bills  of  1831-2  were 
before  the  Houses  of  Parliament,  the  "Catnach  Press,"  in 
common  with  other  printing  offices  that  produced  street-litera- 
ture, was  very  busy  in  publishing,  almost  daily,  songs  and  papers 
in  ridicule  of  borough-mongering  and  of  the  various  rotten 
boroughs  then  in  existence,  but  which  were  entirely  swept  away 
by  the  passing  of  this  Bill ;  fifty-six  boroughs  in  England  being 
disfranchised,  while  thirty  were  reduced  to  one  member  only ; 
twenty-two  new  boroughs  were  created  to  send  two  members, 
and  twenty  to  send  one  member ;  other  important  changes  were 
also  made.  Songs  upon  the  subject  were  sung  at  every  corner 
of  the  streets,  to  the  great  delight  of  the  multitude. 
The  Reform  Bill. 
As  William  and  Bill  are  the  same, 

Our  King,  if  he  "  weathers  the  storm," 
Shall  be  called  in  the  annals  of  fame. 
The  Glorious  BILL  of  Reform  ! 


88 


THE    HISTORY   OF 


.LJL_ 


ATTACK  ON  KING  WILLIAM  IV.  at  ASCOT  HEATH, 

On  Tuesday,  the  19TH  of  June,  1832. 
The  Ascot  Races  for  1832  will  be  rendered  memorable  in  the 
history  of  this  country  by  reason  of  a  stone  thrown  at  his 
Majesty  while  on  the  grand  stand  at  Ascot  Races,  which  hit  him 
on  the  forehead.  The  man  by  whom  it  was  thrown  was  im- 
mediately secured,  and  proved  to  be  Dennis  Collins,  a  seaman 
with  only  one  leg,  formerly  a  pensioner  of  Greenwich  Hospital, 
from  whence  he  had  been  dismissed  for  ill-conduct.  On  his 
examination  he  confessed  he  committed  the  outrage  in  revenge 
because  no  notice  had  been  taken  of  petitions  which  he  had  sent 
to  the  Lords  of  the  Admiralty  and  the  King.  He  was  committed 
to  Reading  gaol  to  take  his  trial,  which  took  place  at  Abingdon, 
on  Au^.pist  22nd.  The  jury  returned  a  verdict  of  guilty  on  the 
fifth  count,  that  of  intending  some  bodily  harm  to  his  Majesty, 
but  not  guilty  of  the  intent  to  kill. 


THE  CATNACH   PRESS.  89 

Mr.  Baron  Gurney  passed  sentence  on  the  prisoner,  that  he 
be  drawn  on  a  hurdle  to  the  place  of  execution^  and  being  hung  by 
his  neck  until  dead,  his  head  be  afterwards  severed  from  his  body^ 
and  his  body  divided  into  four  pieces^  and  disposed  of  as  his 
Majesty  should  think  fit.     His  sentence  was  afterwards  respited. 

Nothing  better  than  the  above  circumstance  could  have  suited 

the  producers  and  workers  of  street-literature.     King  William 

and  Queen  Adelaide  were  very  popular  at  the  time.     *'  Yes,  sir, 

we  all  did  well  out  of  that  job  of  the  wooden-legged  sailor  and 

old  King  Billy.     It  lasted  out  for  months.    We  had  something 

fresh  nearly  every  day.     We  killed  old  Billy  five  or  six  times  ; 

then  we  made  out  that  the  sailor-chap  was  a  love-child  of  the 

Sailor  King  and  Madame  Vestris ;  then  that  he  was  an  old 

sweetheart  of  Queen  Adelaide's,  and  that  he  was  jealous  and 

annoyed  at  her  a  jilting  of  him  and  a-marrying  of  old  King  Billy, 

and  so  on.     But  it  was  an  awful  sell,  and  a  robbery  to  us  all, 

because  they  didn't  hang  and  cut  the  chap  up  into  four  quarters 

— that  would  have  been  a  regular  Godsend  to  us  chaps,  sir. 

But  I  think  old  Jemmy  Catnach,  as  it  was,  must  have  cleared 

pretty  nigh  or  quite  fifty  pounds  for  himself  out  of  the  job. 

A-talking  about  Madame  Vestris,  sir,  reminds  me  that  once  we 

had  a  song  about  her,  and  the  chorus  was : — 

'*  *  A  hundred  pounds  reward 
For  the  man  that  cut  the  legs  above  the  knees 
Belonging  to  Madame  Vestris.*  " 


The  year  1837  produced  two  sensational  murders  and  execu- 
tions. The  first  case — that  of  Pegsworth — made  a  great  stir, 
particularly  in  the  east  part  of  London.  It  was  on  the  evening 
of  the  9th  of  January,  1837,  that  a  most  atrocious  and  cold- 
blooded murder  was  committed  in  Ratcliff  Highway.     The  in- 

N 


90  THE   HISTORY   OF 

dividual  who  suffered  was  Mr  John  HoUiday  Ready,  who  for 
some  time  carried  on  the  trade  of  a  tailor,  draper,  and  milliner. 
John  Pegsworth,  was  a  messenger  in  the  tea  department  of  St. 
Katherine's  Docks,  he  had  formerly  kept  a  small  tobacconist's 
shop  in  the  same  street,  and  had  contracted  a  debt  of  ;£i  with 
Mr.  Ready,  who  being  unable  to  obtain  payment,  took  out  a 
summons  against  him  in  the  Court  of  Requests,  Osborne-street, 
WhitechapeL  The  court  gave  judgement  against  Pegsworth  for 
the  full  amount  and  costs,  which  he  was  ordered  to  pay  by  in- 
stalments. On  the  evening  of  the  same  day  Pegsworth  pro- 
ceeded to  a  cutler's  shop  in  Shadwell,  where  he  bought  a  large 
pig-knife,  armed  with  which  he  immediately  repaired  to  the 
house  of  Mr.  Ready  for  the  purpose  of  executing  his  diabolical 
intention.  He  entered  the  shop,  and  having  spoken  to  Mrs. 
Ready,  passed  on  to  the  parlour  and  got  into  conversation  with 
Mr.  Ready.  Pegsworth,  although  pressingly  asked  to  do  so, 
declined  taking  a  seat,  and  after  he  had  been  talking  about  ten 
minutes  in  a  calm  and  collected  manner  on  the  subject  of  the 
debt  and  the  misfortunes  he  had  met  with  in  business,  he 
pointedly  asked  Mr.  Ready  if  he  intended  to  enforce  the  pay- 
ment of  the  debt  ?  Ready  said  he  should  be  compelled  to  issue 
an  execution  against  his  goods  if  the  money  was  not  paid.  The 
words  had  scarcely  left  the  lips  of  the  unfortunate  man  than 
Pegsworth  uttered  some  exclamation  which  is  supposed  to  have 
been  "  Take  that ! "  and  plunged  the  knife  with  great  force  into 
his  breast  up  to  the  hilt.  Ready  called  out  to  his  wife,  '*  O,  I 
am  stabbed  ! "  fell  back  in  his  chair,  and  almost  immediately 
expired.  Mrs.  Ready,  who  saw  Pegsworth  move  his  arm,  but 
was  not  aware  her  husband  was  stabbed  until  she  saw  him  fall 
back,  screamed  aloud  for  assistance,  and  several  of  her  neigh- 
bours rushed  into  the  shop  for  the  purpose  of  securing  the 


THE   CATNACH   PRESS.  9 1 

murderer,  who  did  not  make  the  least  attempt  to  escape,  but 
having  completed  his  purpose,  withdrew  the  knife  from  the  body 
of  his  victim,  laid  it  on  the  table,  and  calmly  awaited  the  arrival 
of  the  police. 

Pegsworth  was  tried  at  the  Central  Criminal  Court  of  London 
on  the  1 2th  of  February,  and  found  guilty  of  wilful  murder,  and 
was  executed  in  front  of  the  debtor's  door  in  the  Old  Bailey  on 
the  9th  of  March  following. 


During  the  whole  of  the  time  that  was  occupied  in  the  trial 
and  execution  of  Pegsworth,  a  circumstance  took  place  which 
excited  an  extraordinary  sensation  throughout  the  metropolis 
and  its  neighbourhood—  namely,  the  discovery  near  the  Pine 
Apple  Gate,  Edgware  Road,  of  the  trunk  of  a  human  being,  tied 
up  in  a  sack,  dismembered  of  the  arms,  legs,  and  head. 

The  utmost  vigilance  was  exercised  to  trace  out  the  murderer, 
but  for  several  days  no  light  was  thrown  upon  the  transaction. 
At  length,  on  the  6th  of  January,  as  a  barge  was  passing  down 
the  Regent's  Canal,  near  Stepney,  one  of  the  eastern  environs  of 
London,  the  bargeman,  to  his  unspeakable  horror,  fished  up 
what  proved  to  be  a  human  head.  Proper  notice  of  this  circum- 
stance was  forwarded  to  the  police.  It  was  now  very  generally 
supposed  the  head  would  prove  to  belong  to  the  body  found  in 
the  Edgware  road,  although  at  a  distance  of  nearly  five  miles, 
and  this  conjecture  proved  to  be  correct. 

On  the  second  of  February  the  remaining  portions  of  the 
human  being  was  discovered  in  a  sack  in  an  osier  bed,  near  Cold 
Harbour  Lane.  Camberwell.  These  mutilated  remains  were 
carefully  matched  together,  and  at  length  recognised  as  those  of 
a  Mrs.  Brown,  and  suspicion  fell,  and  justly  so,  upon  James 
Greenacre  and  his  paramour  Sarah  Gale. 

N    2 


92  THE   HISTORY   GF 

In  respect  to  the  last  two  murders  we  have  cited,  Mr.  Henry 
Mayhew  received  from  an  old  "  running  patterer  "  the  following 
statement — **Pegsworth  was  an  out-and-out  lot.  I  did  tre- 
mendous with  him,  because  it  happened  in  London,  down 
Ratcliif  Highway — that's  a  splendid  quarter  for  working  —there's 
plenty  of  feeling — but,  bless  you,  some  places  you  go  to  you 
can't  move  nohow,  they've  hearts  like  paving  stones.  They 
wouldn't  have  *  the  papers '  if  you'd  give  them  to  'em — especially 
when  they  knows  you.  Greenacre  didn't  sell  so  well  as  might 
have  been  expected,  for  such  a  diabolical  out-and-out  crime  as 
he  committed ;  but  you  see  he  came  close  after  Pegsworth,  and 
that  took  the  beauty  oif  him.  Two  murderers  together  is  no 
good  to  nobody." 

In  the  Greenacre  tragedy  Catnach  did  a  great  amount  of 
business,  and  as  it  was  about  the  last  ** popular  murder"  in 
which  he  had  any  trade  concern,  we  give  a  statement  in  respect 
to  the  sale  of  "  Execution  Papers,"  of  the  chief  modem  ^popular^ 
murders,  thus : — 

Of  Rush  murder        ...        -  2,500,000  copies. 

Of  the  Mannings        -        -        -        .  2,500,000  „ 

Of  Courvoisier 1,666,000  „ 

Of  Greenacre     .        -        -        -        -  1,650,000  „ 

Of  Corder  (Maria  Marten)  -        -        -  1,166,000  „ 

Of  the  Five  Pirates  (Flowery  Land)    -  290,000  „ 

Of  Miiller 280,000  „ 

So  that  the  printers  and  publishers  of  **  Gallows  "  Literature 
in  general,  and  "The  Catnach  Press"  in  particular  must  have 
reaped  a  golden  harvest  for  many  a  long  day,  even  when  sold 
to  the  street  patterers  at  the  low  rate  of  3d.  per  long  dozen. 


THE   CATNACH   PRESS. 


93 


LIFE,  TRIAL,  CONFESSION,  &  EXECUTIOH 

JAIHES  CREENACRE, 

rOB      TEX 

EDGEWARE     ROAD     MURDER. 


Ob  the  22pd  of  A^>riI^^  Jamoe  Greensrre  «a«  foiled  gialty  of  the 
wnfUmTQtleraf  H»r««h  JJrown,  anii Sarah  Oelewitii being a««»ry 
•fter  the  iaet.  A  long  sad  coimcctcd  cb«In  of  sridanee  irfts  pro- 
gnoed.  vtteh  ihowed,  that  the  snck  ia  vbtcb  the  bod;  w  fosad 
WW  Ae  vropartj  of  Ui.  Ward ;  that  it  «!>a  wdiUt  d/7o«t*d  m  a 
part  <J  Vb»  pmnaea  vhich  led  to  the  vorkihi^,  and  could  without 
•baenatioB  bar*  bees  carried  away  bj  him ;  Utat  tho  said  aaek 
eonttiiwd  aereral  fragneofe  of  gbs-riaga  of  mthogmj.  aneh  ag 
were  Boade  is  the  eoorae  of  bonaeaa  b;  Ward;  lod  that  it 
eaatxiaed  tarns  muxa  of  hatn  cloth,  whioh  had  beaa  patebed  widt 
oaokcea ;  that  this  Uoeo  oloth  matehed  esMil/  witK  >  freck  which 
«M  found  on  Greesoc-e's  presisea,  and  vkich  Moand  b>  the 
bmale  priaoaor.  Fcltham,  a  poliee-oSeer,  dapoaed,  &at  od  the 
KHh  of  Uu«h  be  itpprebendea  the  priaosen  ai  the  lod^isga  o^ 
QntMcre;  thai  on  sbirohing  ths  trovcsn  poeksta  of  thH  pciwa, 
ka  took  tharefrom  a  ps-irnbrckcr's  dupiicsto  for  tirq^cjk  gc«i«, 
■ad  fn^  \k»  tsgen  or  the  fsinale  priaoner  two  nngs,  aad  also  a 
atidlar  dnpHfat*  for  two  vvit,  and  an  old-Cuhioned  silrar  w&tch, 
Vfaidi  ah*  vaa  eBdaaTouiin^  to  coaceal ;  acd  it  was  fiutiier 
prarad  ttal  thtae  artiolea  were  pledged  b;  the  priio&en,  aad  that 
(bej  larf  haoa  &e  jmspntjr  Of  the  deceated  woman. —Tvo  nirgeona 
van  rraiirfned,  wtioaa  endenee  Waa  moat  imporiaatt  uid  Khoae 
JmaMifim  were  of  the  freatcKt  comeqaeBoe  m  fitrowias  a  ciMr 
IMit  OB  tb*  naaser  in  which  the  femite,  Hanak  Bnwn.  SMt 
MdibwdaafiL  Mr.  Birtwhiatie  de]xwd.tbai  babadcusAdlj 
«a<aiM4a«bead;  that  the  right  era  IwdbeaB  kaeiAad  •«  br  a 
bbwiiifiatedwI^tbepenoBwaalW.;  tbm  wae  aiao  amtt  oa 
ib<  cbeek,  aad  Sm  jaw  wia  fiMimad.  thsN  twv  laat  wootda  ««n^ 
ialiiiaBiaieo.»o&t8d  after  death;  tbenwMa]ioabraBtoB:t& 
ha*d.«ShhaSMninaaflH;death:  tt.kt.dhadb*e«a«at«M 

A;  ttenwentbemarfcaeraatw.wfciahfialmaraaawwSieb 
waa  fooad  in  OraeaMra'a  hex.  '  lir.  OiiJwouJ,  %  •nrveea,  rerr 
aunntdj  aad  akiKuIr  daeerib^d  ^  appeuaaees  pmad&d  on  the 
head,  aad  showad  iaeoBteaiibtf.^thaike  head.  I&  baan  nreicd 
ftm  the  bodr  «M>  («<i  jMTMi  W  »*«  afiw  /  flnt  &fe  wai  prored 
In  the  retne&iB,  or  dnwW  h«^  of  the  iaaadei  at  &*  aaria  where 
thar  were  aepaiatad  bj  Ih^laif^  ttd  (hrtiw,  b7  the  btwd-rmia 
UaeeBpt7,  iha  bodr.waa  dndaed  of  \imU.  ^TUi  part  of  tW 


endenee  produced  a  IhriU  of  borror  dmmghaVt  Iha.  eooA,  t«t 
Onenaeie  reraaiaed  qmte  aaaioTed. 

Alter  a  moat  taDpceasre  aad  impartial  nunain;  op  by  die  leacMd 
Jalg^  tta  jaiT  tetiral,  and,  after  the  absence  of  a  quarter  of  aa 
how,  ntaraed into  eoar^  and  proooasoed  a  nsdiet  of  "Oaatr" 
agaiiMhothaeptiaoBen.  ^ 

n«  priaoaen  baard  the  verdict  withoot  erinojng  the  ieact' 
aartioi^crtbaduhlaatehaateof  cosntcaoiuK.  After  »n  awfla 
iilwae  flf  a  fcw  ■Jnalaa,  ^  Xord  Chief  futtice  end  they  loigb* 
«&».  aa  ther  woold  be  tanodec!'  nnia  the  end  of  tho  sewion. 

They  were  then  •oadaetad  fram  the  bar,  and  nn  going  down  (^» 
Mepe,  the  onfortaaate  fattri*  ariaooer  kined  Oreouiore  with  eaeff 
Eufk-of  teBderaeaa  aad  aSbetaoB. 

The  crowd  ootrida  Vtit  aoart  oa  thii  dajr  waa  ertu  rrestar  thu 
00  eiOwr  of  the  Braaadhy;  aad  when  the  rtardt  of  ^e  tiiai  wok 
aade  knowi  ia  tto  itne^  a  anddan  aad  geocral  shont  tacceeded, 
and  eoatnraed  hanaa  vera  heard  Ibr  ae«Mal  aiicstea. 


TEE  EXECUTIOir. 

At  half  pait  anaa  the  dwriff  arrircd  in  hia  carriega,  luid 
short  tiiae  the  ptaia-yaid  ina'  Aroo^  with  geutlcaien  whc  had 


ttjd  hj  tioketi.    The  nnlwppj-  conrict  was  now  led  from 
Wboi  he  airned  ia  Oe  pren-jmid,  his  whsifc  t 


bu  oalL  Wboi  he  amrea  la  ue  pren-jmid,  his  whsm  appeannoa 
ponrtraTid  «■•  rtauat  aiaar;  aad  nirit-btakm  dnecKoa :  hk 
cooateaaaee  haggard,  aad  U*  whole  ftaiH  agitated;  aUthataatf. 
BQHeaioa  aad^fitada  wfaith  be  di»la7«d  !a  the  earij  Bait  of  Ua 
lopciMMBMBi^  had  attidjr  brvkaa  his.  aad  had  Uft  hfia  a  rietla 
of  Vpafatraeaa  aad  damib.  Eetsqnaatad  flwancatioaertagifa 
hio  aa  litthpaia  aa  poaible  ia  tha  praoeai  of  piaioBiBg  hia  ma 
asdwrialB;  be  Ulered  apt  a  word  ia  aOarien  to  hia  «rii^ ;  aaith* 
did  U  Bake  ni7  drinc  raqaeat,  »zeept  Oat  hit  apcctadea  ■!((.(  be 
gim  to  aaiah  Gakyha  eihlUted  Be  wa  of  hna ;  he  ahowcd  *• 
■aiatfoa  with  Ma  eindad  G«d!     Wh«a  tte 


Ipanga  to  the  Md  drop,  he  wui  __    . 

Itot >  aedd  aataapporthiiMir  wtl3t«t  the  dd  *r  tha 


Aoor,  ftaai  whicl^ha  wai  to  be  Uoeched  into  etereitr,  the  aaat 
tenite  mUi,  gioaas  aad  eheen  were  rocifarated  bj  Uie  fB«tMa 
Bttltitaae  satroaadiag  the  place  of  ezemtian.  Greeoacra  bowed  t» 
the  efasiifl;  aadbmedhl  might  ao<  be  aHowed  to  remaio  long  ia  Ih* 
eoaooane ;  aad  atoeat-kaMdiatElj  tho  fatal  bolt  waa  TTtthdraTn, 
aad,wiao«taitrqg|^hobeeaBea  lifeless  corae.-^Thns  sadad 
the  dtji  of  Qtaeaaeta,  a  Buna  ahdowcd  with  more  than  ordinanr 


. sN]rplaMdiaaaeietT;brt 

awiBt  af  pMbttT'.  as  abaolala  deartit of  Mtaeipla,  lad  hm  ea 
froB  oaa  ariiaa  to  .Mlhtr,  eaia'  at  laagfii  h*  perpetnted  tha 
taagaiuuT  deed  which  braachthia  canaT  t<r  aa  nhTaad  di*. 
graeeM  period,  aad  which  ta  aoraaad  hM  aaaa  aiMag  du  BM( 
aoterioaa  VI  thoaa  who  hara  ofiatad  Oair  ariM  ee  Ae  gaUwriL 
Oa  hantag  tta  daalh-b^  toll.  Oak  b«e(M  dmadfUir  JitelMl : 
and  whea  aba  head  tha  bratal  ahoahi  .<  the  ciowd  »^a^BMa% 


iaaeafibUitj  thrcoghoat  the  whole  dacj. 

After  b3Tin(C'  h^n  nupeodud  ths  nsul  time,  hit  bodf  «aa 
»  hole  dag  f 


down,  aiid  hnnod  ic  a  bo]e  dag  io  ona  of  the  passa^  of  the  pri> 
aoa,  near  the  q>ot  whan  Thiattewood  aad  hia  &adatai  Ma» 


4i(Mi^ 


94  THE  HISTORY  OF 

Catnach  received  a  very  indifferent  education,  and  thai  little 
at  the  establishment  of  Mr.  Goldie,  in  Alnwick,  where  his 
attendance  was  very  irregular,  and  this  drawback  assisted  very 
much  in  blunting  his  relish  for  the  higher  walks  of  literature. 
The  father  had  not  carried  out  the  heavenly  injunction  so  much 
practised  in  Scotland,  by  giving  to  his  son  the  best  of  blessings 
— "  a  good  education." 

Jemmy  had  a  tenacious  love  of  money,  and  this  propensity 
he  retained  throughout  life.  As  a  man  of  business  he  was 
rough  and  brusque  in  his  manners,  but  this  mattered  little,  as 
his  trade  lay  amongst  a  class  who  were  low  and  insensitive  in 
their  habits  and  modes  of  living. 

The  productions  issued  at  the  "Catnach  Press"  were  not 
destined  to  rank  high  in  the  annals  of  literature  ;  and  they  bear 
a  sorry  appearance  when  placed  alongside  of  several  works  of  a 
similar  kind,  which  were  printed  at  the  same  period  in  many 
parts  of  the  kingdom.  In  this  respect  Jemmy  Catnach  was 
very  unlike  his  father,  for,  whilst  the  former  had  a  niggardly 
turn  in  all  his  dealings,  the  latter  was  naturally  inclined  to  the 
reverse. 

One  class  of  literature  which  Jemmy  Catnach  made — by 
reason  of  greater  mechanical  skill  and  a  larger  capital  than  his 
rivals — almost  his  own,  was  children's  farthing,  halfpenny,  and 
penny  books.  Among  the  great  many  that  he  published  we 
select  from  our  own  private  collection,  those  that  follow  as  a 
fair  sample. 

Many  other  nursery  books  of  a  similar  kind  might  be  men- 
tioned as  some  of  the  chief  attractions  that  emanated  from  the 
"  Catnach  Press,"  and  which,  to  the  juvenile  population,  were 
more  eagerly  welcomed  than  the  great  sensational  three-volume 
novels  are  by  many  in  our  day. 


''THE  CATNACH  PRESS." 


COLLECTION 


OF 


JUVENILE  BOOKS 

Printed  and  published  by 

JAMES     CATNACH, 

LATE   OF 

MONMOUTH      COURT, 

SEVEN  DIALS, 
LONDON. 


98 


THE    HISTORY   OF 


The  Lion  and  the  unicorn, 
Were  fighting  for  the  crown, 
The  lion  beat  the  unicorn, 
All  round  about  the  town, 
Some  gave  them  white  bread 
And  some  gave  them  brown, 
Some  gave  them  plum  cake 
And  sent  them  out  of  town. 


THE    CATNACH    PRESS. 


99 


NURSE  LOVECHILD'S  LEGACY 


What  is  the  news  of  the  day, 
Good  neighbour  I  pray, 
They  say  the  balloon, 
Is  gone  up  to  the  moon. 


o  2 


lOO 


THE    HISTORY   OF 


NURSE  LOVECHILD'S  LEGACY. 


The  little  mouse 
Doth  skip  and  play, 
He  runs  by  night, 
And  sleeps  by  day. 


THE   CATNACH    PRESS. 


lOI 


NURSE  LOVECHILD's  LEGACY. 


This  is  the  Cat 
That  killed  the  Cock, 
For  waking  her 
At  five  o'clock. 


I02 


THE    HISTORY   OF 


NURSE  LOVECHILD  S  LEGACY. 


And  this  is  the  Dog 
That  bit  the  thief, 
For  stealing  all 
His  master's  beef. 


THE    CATNACH    PRESS. 


103 


NURSE  LOVECHILD  S  LEGACY. 


Who  comes  here 
A  Grenadier, 
What  do  you  want 
A  pot  of  beer, 
Where's  your  money 
I've  forgot. 
Get  you  gone 
You  drunken  sot. 


\ 


104 


THE    HISTORY   OF 


NURSE  LOVECHILD's  LEGACY. 


Be  not  a  glutton  when  you  eat, 

But  spare  some  for  the  needy, 

Or   people   will,    when  filled 
with  meat, 

Say,    like    a    wolf,  you    are 
greedy. 


THE    CATNACH    PRESS. 


105 


NURSE  LOVECHILD  S  LEGACY. 


.^rxjfS 


There  was  a  little  man, 
And  he  had  a  little  gun,. 
And  his  bullets  were  made  of 

lead, 
He  shot  John  Sprig 
Thro'  the  middle  of  his  wig, 
And  knock'd  it  off  his  head. 


io6 


THE    HISTORY   OF 


NURSE  LOVECHILD'S  LEGACY. 


Now  what  do  you  think 
Of  little  Jack  Jingle, 
Before  he  was  married, 
He  used  to  live  single. 
But  after  he  married, 
To  alter  his  life. 
He  left  off  living  single 
And  lived  with  his  wife 


THE   CATNACH    PRESS.  107 


II 


NURSE  LOVECHILD'S  LEGACY. 

Tom  Tnieby  was  a  good  and 
sensible  boy,  who  neither  played 
the  truant  nor  kept  company  with 
naughty  children.  He  did  not 
like  tossing  up  nor  chuck  up  far- 
thing, because  he  thought  it  might 
lead  him  to  love  gaming,  when  he 
was  grown  up;  but  he  liked  very 
well  to  play  at  ball  or  top,  and 
most  particularly  at  marbles,  at 
which  he  was  very  clever,  never 
cheated,  and  played  so  well  that 
he  used  to  teach  the  neighbouring 
children. 


p  2 


io8 


THE    HISTORY   OF 


12 


NURSE  LOVECHILD'S  LEGACY. 


And  here  you  see  him  instructing 
Master  Manly,  a  Baronet's  son  in 
the  place,  as  he  did  in  matters  of 
more  consequence,  and  behaved  so 
well  towards  him,  that  he  was  his 
friend  all  his  lifetime. 


THE    CATNACH    PRESS. 


109 


13 

NURSE  LOVECHILD's  LEGACY. 

Fire-Works  and  Crackers. 


Fire- Works  are  things  that  look 
very  pretty  when  they  are  properly 
managed  by  those  who  understand 
them,  but  children  ought  to  take 
care  how  they  meddle  with  gun- 
powder lest  they  should  hurt  them- 
selves or  other  people. 


no  THE    HISTORY    OF 


14 

NURSE  LOVECHILD's  LEGACY. 

Tom  Hazard  for  example  was  al- 
ways fond  of  playing  with  serpents 
crackers  &c.  At  one  time  he  was 
near  doing  damage  by  his  fire- 
works falling  into  a  cellar,  and  at 
another  time  as  you  see  in  the  cut 
he  so  much  frightened  one  of  his 
schoolfellows  that  he  fell  down, 
and  put  his  ancle  out,  for  which 
Tom  was  severely  corrected  and 
you  must  own  he  richly  deserved  it. 


THE   CATNACH    PRESS. 


in 


NURSE  LOVECHILD  S  LEGACV. 


See  the  Mother, 
Good  and  mild, 
How  she  plays 
With  her  dear  Child. 


J.  Catnach,  Printer. 


114  THE    HISTORY    OF 


The 

Lord's  Prayer, 


Our  Father,  who  art  in  Heaven,  hallow- 
ed be  thy  Name,  thy  Kingdom  come,  thy 
Will  be  done  on  Earth,  as  it  is  in  Heaven, 
Give  us  this  Day  our  daily  Bread,  and  for- 
give us  our  Trespasses  as  we  forgive 
them  that  trespass  against  us,  and  lead  us 
not  into  Temptation,  but  deliver  us  from 
Evil.  For  thine  is  the  Kingdom,  the  power 
and  the  Glory,  for  ever  and  ever.    Amen, 


THE  CATNACH   PRESS. 


"5 


Was  an  Arch  Boy. 


B 

A  Beauty  was. 


Q    2 


ii6 


THE    HISTORY   OF 


A  comely  Wench  but  Coy. 


D 

A  Dainty  Lass. 


THE   CATNACH    PRESS. 


Loved  Eggs,  and  eat  his  fill. 


Was  full  and  fat. 


ii8 


THE    HISTORY   OF 


Had  Grace  and  wit  at  will. 


H 

Wore  a  Gold  Lace  Hat. 


THE   CATNACH   PRESS. 


119 


I 

Stands  for  little  J  ackys  name. 


For  Kitty  Fair. 


120 


THE    HISTORY    OF 


Loved  Learning  &  got  fame. 


M 
Was  his  Mother  dear. 


THE   CATNACH    PRESS. 


121 


Was  naughty  &  oft  crying. 


An  Only  Child. 


123 


THE   HISTORY   OF 


lO 


Was  pretty  Peggy  sighing. 


Was  a  Quaker  mild, 


THE  CATNACH  PRESS. 


123 


-II 


R 

Was  Rude,  &  in  disgrace. 


Stands  for  Sammy  Still. 


R  2 


124 


THE    HISTORY    OF 


12 


For  ever  talked  a-pace. 


Was  fond  of  Veal. 


THE  CATNACH  PRESS. 


'  125 


13 


W 

He  watched  the  house  &  hall. 


Does  like  a  Cross  appear. 


126 


THE   HISTORY   OF 


14 


A  Youth  well  shaped  &  tall. 


Whips  up  the  Rear. 


THE  CATNACH  PRESS. 


127 


15 

Let  all  good  children  come  to  me, 
And  I'll  learn  them  their 
ABC 


^m^mimmmmii^^Kmmms 


JERBV  diodlb; 

Awo  nis 

FIDDLE, 


If  you  are  bad    I  And  praise  will  all 
I  pray  reform^       Your  acts  adorn. 


London : 

Printed  by  J.  Catnach,  2,  Monmouth 

Court,  7  Dials. 


I30 


THE   HISTORY   OF 


JERRY  DIDDLE. 

Bought  a  fiddle, 
To  play  to  little  boys, 
He  wax'd  his  string, 
And  began  to  sing, 
Youth  is  the  time  for  joys. 


He  went  to  a  pig,  and  play'd  a  jig. 


THE   CATNACH   PRESS. 


i3i 


The  pigs  did  grunt  for  joy, 
Till  the  farmer  came  out, 
And  made  a  great  rout,  (boy," 

Saying  "Off,  or  fll  cane  you,  my 


He  met  an  old  woman  to  market 

a  prancing,  (a  dancing. 

He  took  out  his  fiddle,  and  set  her 


s  2 


132 


THE    HISTORY   OF 


She  broke  all  her  eggs, 
And  dirtied  her  butter ; 

At  which  her  old  husband 
Began  for  to  splutter. 


Oh  !  then,  said  Jerry, 
I'll  soon  make  you  merry. 


THE   CATNACH    PRESS. 


133 


And  the  way  with  his  fiddle  he 

led, 
The  old  man  heard  the  tune, 
As  he  sat  in  his  room, 


And   danc'd    on    top    of   his 
head. 


134 


THE   HISTORY   OF 


He  next  met  a  barber, 
With  powder  and  wig, 


te^ 


He  play'd  him  a  tune. 
And  he  shaved  an  old  pig. 


THE  CATNACH   PRESS. 


135 


Then  up  in  his  arms 
He  carried  the  boar, 


And  went  to  the  ale-house, 
To  dance  on  the  floor. 


1^6 


THE    HISTORY   OF 


8 


He  met  an  old  man, 

With  beer  in  a  can, 
And  a  bundle  of  clothes  on  his 
shoulder, 


He  bade  Jerry  play, 

And  threw  all  away, 
To  astonish  each  gaping  beholder. 


THE   CATNACH    PRESS. 


137 


He  went  to  a  tailor, 
Who  was  ill  in  bed  j 


When  he  got  up  to  dance, 
With  a  goose  on  his  head. 


138 


THE   HISTORY   OF 


lO 


He  went  to  a  fishwomen, 
Tippling  of  gin, 


When  she  like  a  top, 
Began  for  to  spin. 


THE  CATNACH  PRESS. 


139 


II 


The  publican  star'd, 

As  he  fill'd  out  the  glasses, 


But  when  Jerry  play'd, 
He  danc'd  with  the  lasses. 


T   2 


140 


THE    HISTORY    OF 


12 


He  next  met  an  old  man, 
With  beard  white  and  long, 


Who  laugh'd  at  poor  Jerry, 
And  scoff'd  at  his  song. 


THE  CATNACH  PRESS. 


141 


13 

His  name  was  Instruction, 
The  friend  of  the  wise, 


Who  teaches  good  youth, 
To  win  honor's  prize. 


142 


THE  HISTORY  OF 


14 

He  broke  Jerry's  fiddle, 
And  taught  him  to  read, 


^m-...  ms^r 


And  told  him  that  honor 
Would  daily  succeed. 


THE  CATNACH  PRESS. 


143 


15 

Jerry  now  is  a  lad 
At  school  always  true, 


The  joy  of  his  friends, 
And  a  pattern  for  you. 


Be  instructed  by  him, 
To  avoid  folly's  snare, 


And  your  bosom  thro'  life, 
Will  escape  every  care. 


FINIS. 


Here  am  I,  little 
Jumping  Joan, 
When  nobody's  with  me, 
I'm  always  alone. 

London ; 

rrinled  by  J.  Catnach,  2,  Monmouth 

Court,  7  Dials. 


146 


THE  HISTORY  OF 


Jumping  Joan. 


Joan  had  a  dog,  and 
Joan  had  a  cat, 
Look  at  them  both,  see 
How  pretty  they're  sat. 


THE    CATNACH    PRESS 


T47 


Jumimig  Joan. 


Joan  she  lov'd  skipping, 
And  was  not  at  a  loss, 
At  jumping  or  hopping, 
Or  going  a  cross. 


U  2 


148 


THE  HISTORY  OF 


Jumping  Joan. 


Joan  had  a  parrot      t 
Could  chatter  and  bawl, 
But  Joan  could  talk  faster, 
And  longer  withal. 


THE  CATNACH  PRESS. 


149 


Jumping  Joan. 


Joan's  dog,  Prinny, 
No  learning  did  lack, 
He'd  carry  Poll  in  his  mouth 
And  Puss  on  his  back. 


ISO 


THE    HISTORY    OF 


Jumping  Joan. 


As  Joan  lov'd  jumping, 
She  learned  her  cat, 
Look  at  them  both, 
And  see  what  they're  at. 


THE   CATNACH    PRESS. 


15-1 


Jumping  Joan, 


Here's  Pussy  a  washing 
Joan's  linen  you  know, 
She  could  wash  for  herself 
A  long  while  ago. 


152 


THE   HISTORY  OF 


Jumping  Joan, 


Now  Prinny,  Joan's  dog, 
To  market  would  go, 
But  what  he'll  bring  back, 
I'm  sure  I  don't  knojv. 


THE   CATNACH    PRESS. 


153 


Jumping  Joan. 


Here's  Pussy  drest  out 
Like  a  lady  so  gay, 
She's  going  to  court,  if 
She  finds  but  the  way. 


154 


THE    HISTORY   OF 


10 


Jumping  Joan. 


Here's  Prinny  and  Pussy 
To  dancing  have  got, 
While  Joan  plays  a  tune 
On  the  lid  of  a  pot. 


THE  CATNACH  PRESS. 


155 


II 


Jumping  Joan. 


Here's  Joan  with  a  whip, 
Taking  very  long  strides, 
And  vows  if  she  finds  'em. 
She'll  bang  both  their  hides 


X  2 


156 


THE    HISTORY    OF 


12 


Jumping  Joan. 


Here's  Prinny  with  gun, 
Sword  and  gorget  so  smart, 
He's  going  to  France, 
To  fight  Bonaparte. 


THE  CATNACH  PRESS. 


157 


13 

Jumping  Joan. 


And  Joan's  threat  had  fiU'd 
Poor  Prin  with  alarms, 
He  said  he'd  not  fight, 
And  so  grounded  his  arms. 


158 


THE    HISTORY   OF 


14 

Jumping  Joan. 


Then  Puss  in  a  fright 
Ran  back  to  the  house, 
She  pull'd  off  her  clothes, 
And  has  just  caught  a  mouse 


THE  CATNACH  PRESS. 


159 


15 

Jumping  Joan. 


Then  Joan  she  came  in, 
Caird  the  cat  saucy  puss, 
And  said  Prin  was  a  puppy, 
To  frighten  her  thus. 


J.  Calnach,  Printer. 


TO  THE 

Juvenile  Reader, 


Little  Boys  and  Girls  will  find 
At  Catnach's  something  to  their  mind. 
From  great  variety  may  choose, 
What  will  instruct  them  and  amuse ; 
The  prettiest  plates  that  you  can  find, 
To  please  at  once  the  eye  and  mind, 
In  all  his  little  books  appear, 
In  natural  beauty,  shining  clear, 
Instruction  unto  youth  when  given, 
Points  the  path  fi:om  earth  to  heaven. 

He  sells  by  Wholesale  and  Retail, 
To  suit  all  moral  tastes  can't  fail. 


THE 

Butterfly's  Ball, 

AND 

Grasshopper's  Feast- 


Come  take  up  your  hats^ 
And  away  let  tis  haste, 

To  the  Butterfly's  Ball, 
Or  the  Grasshoppet^ s  JFeast. 

J,  Catnach, 
2,  Monmouth  Court,  7  Dials. 


Y  2 


164 


THE   HISTORY   OF 


THE 


BUTTERFLY'S    BALL 

AND 

Grasshopper's  Feast. 


The  trumpeter  Gad-fly, 
Has  summon'd  the  crew, 

And  the  revels  are  now, 
Only  waiting  for  you. 


On  the  smooth  shaved  grass, 
By  the  side  of  a  wood. 

Beneath  a  broad  oak, 
Which  for  ages  had  stood. 


THE    CATNACH   PRESS. 


165 


See  the  children  of  earth, 
And  the  tenants  of  air, 

To  an  evening's  amusement^ 
Together  repair. 


And  there  came  the  Beetle, 
So  blind  and  so  black, 

And  carried  the  Emmet, 
His  friend  on  his  back. 


And  there  came  the  Gnat, 
And  the  Dragon-fly  too. 

And  all  their  relations — 
Green,  orange  and  blue. 


And  there  came  the  Moth 
With  her  plume  of  down, 

And  the  Hornet  with  jacket 
Of  yellow  and  brown. 


i66 


THE  HISTORY  OF 


Who  with  him  the  Wasp, 
His  companion  did  bring, 

But  they  promised  that  evening 
To  lay  by  their  sting. 


S^ 


The  sly  little  Dormouse, 
PeepM  out  of  his  hole, 

And  led  to  the  feast, 

His  blind  cousin  the  Mole. 


And  the  Snail  with  his  horns, 
Peeping  out  of  a  shell. 

Came  fatigued  with  the  distance. 
The  length  of  an  ell. 


A  Mushroom  the  table, 
And  on  it  was  spread, 

A  water-dock  leaf, 

Which  their  table-cloth  made. 


THE  CATNACH   PRESS. 


167 


«^ 


The  viands  were  various, 
To  each  of  their  taste, 

And  the  Bee  brought  the  honey, 
To  sweeten  the  feast. 


With  steps  most  majestic, 
The  Snail  did  advance. 

And  he  promised  the  gazers 
A  minuet  to  dance. 


But  they  all  laugh'd  so  loud, 
That  he  drew  in  his  head, 

And  went  in  his  own 
Little  chamber  to  bed. 


Then  as  the  evening  gave  way 
To  the  shadows  of  night, 

Their  watchman  the  glow-worn 
Came  out  with  his  light. 


Let  all  good  children  come  to  me, 
And  I'll  learn  them  their 

ABC 


jrS  THE  ^ 

1   Easter  Gift! 

M*  BEING   A 

'^       USEFUL.  TOV 

iLr*///^  Af/.y*  ^  Master  | 

TO  LLARN  THEIR 


^  J  Catn-dch,  Printer,  W 

^    Monmottth-Courl,  7  Dials.    >^ 


Z  2 


172 


THE   HISTORY    OF 


A  Was  an  Archer  and  shot  THv  Was    a    Drunkard   and 

at  a  frog,  1  )         lov'd  a  full  pot, 

But  missing  his  mark  shot  into  His  face  and  his  belly  shew'd 

a  bog.  him  a  great  sot. 


BWas  a  Butcher  and  had  117   ^^^    ^"   Esquire,    both 

a  great  dog,  i--^        lofty  and  proud, 

Who    always  went  round  the  His  servant  was  softy  though 

streets  with  a  clog.  ^^  was  full  loud. 


F 

S 

•  (jtj 

- — —^ 
'•  -7.:r,-.- 

P 

^ 

CWas  a  Captain  so  brave 
and  so  grand, 
He  headed  in  buff  the  stately 
train'd  band. 


F^  Was  a  Farmer  and  followed 
the  plough, 
And  gathered  good  from  the 
sweat  of  his  brow. 


THE   CATNACH   PRESS. 


173 


J  Was  a  Joiner  and  built  him 
a  house, 

.—         •     1^  00^'  oVo;«of    o      A  little  time  after  there  came 
A  poor  smgle  ace   agamst    a  in  a  mouse 

bold  tray.  ^^  ^  "^°^^^* 


GWas  a  Gamester,  and  oft 
would  he  play, 


T  T    Hunted  the  buck,    and 


KWas  a  King,  who  would 
drink  and  carouse. 


likewise  the  doe,  

The  hart  and  the  fox,  and  also     Affrighted   was   he  at  a  stand 
the  roe.  and  a  mouse. 


I    Was  an  Image  set  up  at 
Rome, 


LWas  a  Lady  that    lov'd 
a  fine  tree, 

many  tnat  see  it  were  better  at     Though  none  understood  it  so 
home.  little  as  she. 


174 


THE   HISTORY   OF 


MWas    a    Merchant    to 
foreign  lands  gone. 
To  bring  home  fine  tea  and  rich 
silks  anon. 


p 

NWas   a   Noble   of  birth 
and  high  power, 
To  the  poor  most    gentle,    to 
the  haughty  most  sour. 


PWas  a  Parson,  and  wore  a 
black  gown, 
For   goodness    and    virtue    of 
high  renown. 


QVWas  a  Quaker,  both  stiif 
and  upright, 
xii   ^ea  and  nay  they    chiefly 
delight. 


OWith  her  Oysters,  a  deli-  T)    Was  a  Robber  on     the 

cate  cry.  [V         highway, 

Come  buy  my  sweet    Oyster,  For  which  he's  been  hung  this 

cuinc  buy,  come  buy.  many  a  day. 


THE   CATNACH    PRESS. 


175 


SWas  a  Sailor  and  liv'd  in  -XT  Was  a  Vintner  that  loved 

a  ship,  y          his  pottle, 

He  made  the   Spaniards   and  Went  seldom  to  bed  without  his 

French  for  to  skip,  fuU  bottle. 


TWas    Tom  Tinker    and 
mended  a  kettle^ 
While  he  was  hammering   was 
deaf  as  a  beetle. 


UWas   an    Undertaker  at 
work  for  his  bread. 
The  living  must  pay,  though  he 
works  for  the  dead. 


WWas   a  Watchman,   to 
guard  the  warehouse, 
That  rogues  did  not  strip  it 'of 
every  souse. 


XWas  expensive,  andj  so 
became  poor, 
With  his  little  dog  begged  from 
door  to  door. 


YWas   a    Youngster    that 
lov'd  not  his  school, 
But  trundled  his  hoop  though 
out  of  all  rule. 


ZWas  a  Zany  that  look'd 
like  a  fool, 
With  his  long  tassell'd  cap  he 
was  the  boy's  fool. 


And  when  your  great  letters  you  know. 
Then  I'll  teach  you  the  small  ones  also. 


*-»®fei^<^K@t.,^^.^^^^ 


Printed  by  J.  Catnach. 


2    A 


AN  apple  pie  when  it  looks  nice, 
Would  make  one  long  to  have  a  slice, 
And  if  its  taste  should  prove  so  too, 
I  fear  one  slice  would  scarcely  do, 
So  to  prevent  my  asking  twice, 
Pray  mamma,  cut  a  good  large  slice. 


THE 

LIFE  AND  DEATH 

OF  AN 

APPLE    PIE. 


^^Btii^K^^^H 

hIIIlVI 

l5ttfcL.'~^      "^^i 

A  B 

An" Apple-pie.  .      Bit  it. 


F 

Fought  for  it. 


2    A    2 


i8o 


THE   HISTORY   OF 


H 

Had  it. 


J  K 

Join'd  for  it.        Kept  it. 


L  M  NO 

Long'd  for  it.      Mourned  for  it.        Nodded  at  it.        Open'd  it. 


^THE  CATNACH  PRESS. 


l8l 


t 

i 

j 

ijH  Wk 

k 

P  Q  .       E 

Peeped  into  it.     Quartered  it.  Ran  for  it. 


Stole  it. 


W  XYZ  and  & 

Wanted  it.      All  wished  for 
a  piece  in  hand. 


132 


THE   HISTORY   OF 


^©®©©®^®©©©Offl 


g^^^^^^_^_^ 


At  last  they  every  one  agreed, 
Upon  the  apple  pie  to  feed ; 
But  as  there  seem'd  to  be  so  many, 
Those  who  were  last  might  not  have 

any, 
Unless  some  method  there  was  taken 
That  every    one    might    have    their 

bacon, 
They  all  agreed  to  stand  in  order, 
Around  the  apple  pie's  fine  border, 
Take  turn  as  they  in  hornbook  stand 
From  great  A  down  to  &, 
In  equal  parts  the  pie  divide, 
As  you  may  see  on  the  other  side. 


THE  CATNACH   PRESS,  1 83 


A  mrious  Discourse  thai  passed  between  the  Twenty-five  Letters 
at  dinner  time. 


A  1.  Says,  A,  give  me  a  good  large  slice 

B  2.  Says  B,  a  little  bit  but  nice. 

C  3.  Says  C,  cut  me  a  piece  of  crust. 

D  4.   Take  it,  says  D,  'tis  dry  as  dust. 

E  5.  Says  E,  I'll  eat  it  fast,  who  will? 

E  6.  Says  F,  I  vow  I'U  have  my  fiU. 

G  7.  Says  Q-,  give  it  me  both  good  and  great. 

H  8.  Says  H,  a  little  bit  I  hate. 

I    9,  Says  I,  I  love  the  juice  the  best. 

K  10.  And  K,  the  very  same  confessed. 

L  11.   Says  L,  there's  nothing  more  1  love. 

M  1 2.  Says  M,  it  makes  your  teeth  to  move. 

N  13.  N  notic'd  what  the  others  said, 

0  14.  •  0,  others  plates  with  grief  survey'd. 

P  15.  P  prais'd  the  cook  up  to  the  life. 

Q  1 6.    Q  quarrell'd  because  he'd  a  bad  knife. 

R  17.  Says  R,  it  runs  short  I'm  afraid. 

5  18.  8,  silent  sat  and  nothing  said. 

T  19.  T,  thought  that  talking  might  lose  time. 

U  20.  U  understood  it  at  meals  a  crime. 

W  21.  W  wish'd  there  had  been  a  quince  in. 

X  22.  Says  X,  those  cooks  there's  no  convincing 

Y  23  Says  Y,  I'll  eat,  let  others  wish. 

Z  24.  Z  sat  as  mute  as  any  fish. 

6  25.  WhUe  &  he  Hck'd  the  dish. 


184. 


THE    HISTORY    OF 


Having  concluded  their  discourse 
and  dinner  together,  I  have  nothing 
more  to  add ;  but  if  my  little  readers 
are  pleased  with  what  they  have  found 
in  this  book  they  have  nothing  to  do 
but  to  run  to  J.  Paul  &  Go's.,  2,  &  3, 
Monmouth  Court;  7  Dials,  where  they 
may  have  a  great  variety  of  books 
not  less  entertaining  than  this  of  the 
same  size  and  price. 

But  that  you  may  not  think  I  leave 
you  too  abruptly,  I  here  present  you 
with  the  picture  of  dame  Dumpling, 
who   made  the  Apple  pie  you  have 


been  reading  about;  she  has  several 
more  in  her  basket,  and  she  promised 
that  if  you  are  good  children  you  shall 
never  go  to  bed  supperless  while  she 


THE  CATNACH  PRESS,  iSi 


has  one  loft.  But  as  good  people  al- 
ways ask  a  blessing,  as  a  token  that 
you  are  good  and  deserve  a  pie,  you 
must  learn  the  two  following  Graces, 
that  one  be  said  before  your  meals, 
and  the  other  after. 


Grace  before  Meat 

Good  Lord,  bless  us,  and  these  thy 
creatures,  to  our  use,  which  we  are 
about  to  receive,  of  thy  bounteous 
liberality,  through  Jesus  Christ  our 
Lord.     Amen. 

Grace  after  Meat, 

We  thank  thee,  0  Lord,  for  all  the 
benefits  of  this  time,  and  of  our 
whole  lives.  Make  us  thankful  for 
all  thy  mercies  now,  and  for  ever- 
more.    Amen. 


2    6 


THE 


TEN   COMMANDMENTS 


PUT  INTO  SHORT  RHYME. 


1.  Thou  shalt  have  no  other  God  but  me. 

2.  Before  no  idol  bow  thy  knee. 

3.  Take  not  the  name  of  God  it  vain. 

4.  Nor  dare  the  Sabbath-day  profane. 

5.  Give  both  thy  parents  honour  due. 

6.  Take  heed  that  thou  no  murder  do. 

7.  Abstain  from  words  and  deeds  unclean. 

8.  Steal  not,  tho'  thou  art  poor  and  mean. 

9.  Tell  not  a  wilful  lie,  nor  love  it. 

10.  What  is  thy  neighbour's,  dare  not  covet. 


J.  Paul  &  Co.,  Printers. 


iiiM:|3^  ; 


OLD 

HUBBABD 


II 


Old  Mother  Hubbard  went  to  the  cupboard 

To  get  the  poor  dog  a  bone  ; 
But  when  she  came  there  the  cupboard  was  bare, 

And  so  the  poor  dog  had  none. 


London : 
Printed  by  J  Catnach,  2  &  3,  Manmouth  Court,  7  Dials. 


2    B    3 


She  went  to  the  baker's  to  buy  him  some  bread, 
When  she  came  back  the  dog  was  dead. 
Ah  !  my  poor  dog,  she  cried,  oh,  what  shall  I  do  ? 
You  were  always  my  pride — none  equal  to  you. 


She  went  to  the  undertaker's  to  buy  him  a  coffin, 
When  she  came  back,  the  dog  was  laughing. 
Now  how  this  can  be  quite  puzzles  my  brain, 
I  am  much  pleased  to  sec  you  alive  Once  again. 


She  went  to  the  barber's  to  buy  him  a  wig, 
When  she  came  back  he  was  dancing  a  jig. 
O,  you  dear  merry  grig,  how  nicely  you're  prancing ; 
Then  she  held  up  the  wig,  and  he  began  dancing. 


She  went  to  the  sempstress  to  buy  him  some  linen, 
When  she  came  back  the  dog  was  spinning. 
The  reel,  when  'twas  done,  was  wove  into  a  shirt, 
Which  served  to  protect  him  from  weather  and  dirt. 


To  market  she  went,  to  buy  him  some  tripe, 
When  she  came  back  he  was  smoking  his  pipe. 
Why,  sure,  cried  the  dame,  you'd  beat  the  great  Jocko. 
Who  before  ever  saw  a  dog  smoking  tobacco? 


She  went  to  the  alehouse  to  buy  him  some  beer, 
When  she  came  back  he  sat  on  a  chair. 
Drink  hearty,  said  Dame,  there's  nothing  to  pay, 
'Twill  banish  your  sorrow  and  moisten  your  clay.. 


I 


She  went  to  the  fruiterer's  to  buy  him  some  fruit, 
When  she  came  back  he  was  playing  the  flute. 
Oh,  you  musical  dog,  you  surely  can  speak : 
Come,  sing  me  a  song,  then  he  set  up  a  squeak. 


She  went  to  the  tavern  for  white  wine  and  red, 
When  she  came  back  he  stood  on  his  head. 
This  is  odd,  said  the  dame,  for  fun  you  seem  bred. 
One  would  almost  believe  you'd  wine  in  your  head. 


The  dog  he  cut  capers,  and  turned  out  his  toes, 
'Twill  soon  cure  the  vapours,  he  such  attitude  shows. 
The  dame  made  a  curtsey,  the  dog  made  a  bow, 
The  dame  said,  Your  servant,  the  dog  said  Bow  wow 


London : 

Published  by  Ryle  and  Paul, 

2  &  3,  Monmouth  Court,  Seven  Dials. 


194 


THE   HISTORY   OF 


NURSERY  RHYMES. 


Ding,  (long,  bell ! 
Pussy's  in  the  well. 
Who  put  her  in  ? 
Little  Johnny  Green. 
Who  pulled  her  out  ? 
Little  Johnny  Snout, 
What  a  naughty  boy  was  that, 
To  drown  poor  pussy  cat, 
Who  never  did  hun  any  harm, 
And  kill'd  the  mice  in  his  father's 
barn. 


See-saw,  sacradown. 
Which  is  the  way  to  London  town  ? 
One  foot  up,  and  the  other  down, 
And  that  is  the  way  to  London  town. 


Jack  and  Jill  went  up  the  hill, 

To  get  a  pail  of  water  : 
Jack  fell  down  and  broke  his  crown, 

And  Jill  came  tumbling  after. 


Hey  diddle,  the  cat  and  the  fiddle, 

The  cow  jumped  over  the  moon.'^" 

Tbe   Httle  dog  laughed  to  see  thv 
sport. 

And  the    dish    ran  away  with  the 
spoon. 


Cock^a  doodle  do, 
The  dame  has  lost  her  shoe, 
And  master's  lost  his  fiddle  stick 
And  don't  know  what  to  do. 


THE   CATNACH   PRESS. 


Simple  Simon  met  a  pieman, 

Going  to  the  fair  !         ) 
Says  Simple  Simon  to  the  pieman, 

Let  me  taste  your  ware. 


Says  the  pieman  unto  Simon 

First  give  me  a  penny  ; 
Says  Simple  Simon  to  the  pieman, 

I  have  not  got  any. 

Once  Simon  made  a  great  snow  ball 
And  brought  it  in  to  roast, 

He  laid  it  down  before  the  fire, 
And  soon  the  ball  was  lost. 


He  went  to  ride  a  spotted  cow, 

That  had  a  little  calf, 
She  threw  him  down  upon  the  ground 

And  made  all  the  people  laugh. 


195 


Now  Simple  Simon  went  a  fishing. 

For  to  catch  a  whale. 
But  all  the  water  he  had  got 

Was  in  his  mother's  pail. 


He  went  to  catch  a  dickey  bird 
And  thought  he  could  not  fail 

Because  he  had  a  bit  of  salt, 
To  put  upon  his  tail. 

He  went  to  see  if  cherries  ripe, 

Did  grow  upon  a  thistle, 
He  pricked  his  finger  very  much. 

Which  made  poor  Simon  whistle. 


He  went  to  take  a  bird's  nest, 
'Twas  built  upon  a  bough, 

A  branch  gave  way,  down  Simon  fell 
Into  a  dirty  slough. 


2    C  2 


196 


THE  HISTORY  OF 


Simon  was  sent  to  market, 
To  buy  a  joint  of  meat, 

He  tied  it  to  his  horse's  tail, 
To  keep  it  clean  and  sweet. 


He  went  to  slide  upon  the  ice, 
Before  the  ice  would  bear. 

Then  he  plunged  in  above  his  knees, 
Which  made  poor  Simon  stare. 

He  went  to  shoot  a  wild  duck, 

But  the  duck  flew  away, 
Says  Simon  I  can't  hit  him. 

Because  he  would  not  stay. 


Then  Simple  Simon  went  a  hunting, 

For  to  catch  a  hare, 
lie  rode  an  ass  about  the  street, 

But  could  not  find  one  there. 


He  went  for  water  in  a  seive, 
But  soon  it  all  run  through. 
And  went  all  o'er  his  clothes, 
Which  made  poor  Simon  rue. 


He  washed  himself  with  blacking 
ball, 

Because  he  had  no  soap. 

And  then  said  to  his  mother 

I'm  a  beauty  now  I  hope. 

He  went  to  eat  some  honey, 

Out  of  the  mustard  pot, 
It  bit  his  tongue  until  he  cried, 

That  was  all  the  good  he  got. 


Simple  Simon  cutting  his  mother's 
bellows  open  to  see  where  the  wind 

lay. 


THE  CATNACH   PRESS. 


JACK  JINGLE. 


Little  Jack  Jingle, 
Played  truant  at  school, 
They  made  his  bum  tingle 
For  being  a  fool ; 
He  promised  no  more 
Like  a  fool  he  would  look 
But  be  a  good  boy  and 
attend  to  his  book. 


197 


See  little  Jack  Jingle 

Learning  his  task, 
He's  a  very  good  boy, 

If  the  neighbours  should  ask, 
To  school  he  does  run, 

And  no  truant  does  play. 
But  when  school  is  done. 

He  can  laugh  and  be  gay. 


Here  sulky  Sue, 

What  shall  we  do. 
Turn  her  face  to  the  wall, 

Till  she  comes  to  ; 
If  that  should  fail, 

A  touch  with  the  cane 
Will  do  her  good, 

When  she  feels  the  pain. 


Now  Suky  never  pouts. 
Never  frowns,  never  flouts, 

But  reads  her  book  with  glee. 
Then  dances  merrily. 
No  girl  so  good  as  she, 
In  all  the  country  ; 

Cheerfully  doth  all  things  do. 

She  lost  the  name  of  sulky  Sue. 


THE    HISTORY   OF 


\ 


Jack  Jingle  went  'prentice, 

To  make  a  horse-shoe, 
He  wasted  the  iron, 

Till  it  would  not  do, 
His  master  came  in, 

And  began  for  to  rail ; 
Says  Jack,  the  shoe's  spoil'd, 

But  'twill  still  make  a  nail. 


Little  Jack  Jingle, 

Went  to  court  Suky  Shingle, 
Says  he,  shall  we  mingle 

Our  toes  in  the  bed ; 
Fye !  Jacky  Jingle, 

Says  little  Suke  Shingle, 
We  must  try  to  mingle, 

Our  pence  for  some  bread. 


Suke  Shingle  when  young. 

Did  what  others  have  done, 
She  could  dirty  two  clouts, 

While  her  mother  wash'd  one. 
Biit  now  grown  a  stout  wench, 

With  her  pail  and  her  mop, 
If  she  don't  clean  the  board, 

She  can  make  a  great  slop. 


Suky  you  shall  be  my  wife, 
And  I'll  tell  you  why  ; 

I  have  got  a  little  pig. 
And  you  have  got  a  sty  ; 

I  have  got  a  dun  cow, 

And    you  can  make  good 
cheese, 

Suky  will  you  have  me  ? 

Say  yes,  if  you  please. 


THE  CATNACH  PRESS. 


DEATH  &  BURIAL 

OF 

COCK     ROBIN. 


199 


Who  saw  him  die  ? 

I,  said  the  fly 

With  my  little  eye- 
I  saw  him  die. 


Who>ill'd  Cock  Robin  ? 
I  said  the  sparrow, 
With  my  bow  and  arrow. 

I  kill'd  Cock  Robin. 

Who  caught  his  blood  ? 
I,  said  the  fish, 
With  my  little  dish— 

I  cauq-ht  his  blood. 


This  is  the  fly 
That  saw  him  die. 


Who  made  his  shroud  ? 
I,  said  the  beetle, 
With  my  little  needle- 

I  made  his  shroud. 


This  is  the  fish 
That  held  the  dish. 


This  is  the  beetle, 
With  his  little  needle. 


200 


THE  HISTORY  OF 


Who'll  be  the  Parson  ^ 

I,  said  the  rook, 

With  my  little  book— 
I  will  be  the  Parson. 


Here  is  Parson  Rook, 
Reading  his  book. 


Who'll  carry  the  cofifin  ? 

I,  said  the  Kite, 

If  it's  not  in  the  night- 
I'll  carry  the  coffin 


Behold  the  Kite, 

How  he  takes  his  flight. 


Who'll  be  the  clerk? 
I,,  said  the  Latk, 
If  its  not  in  the  dark- 

I  will  be  the  clerk. 


Behold  how  the  Lark,"* 
Says  Amen  like  a  clerk. 


Who  will  carry  the  link  ? 
I,  said  the  linnet : 
I'll  fetch  it  in  a  minute- 

I  will  carry  the  link. 


The  Linnet  with  a  light, 
Altho'  it  is  not  night. 


THE  CATNACH  PRESS. 


201 


LITTLE 
RED  RIDING  HOOD. 


And  now  her  riding  hood  is  on, 
How  pretty  she  does  look ; 

Mamma  made  it  to  keep  her  warm 
Because  she  learn 'd  her  book  : 

So  be  good  girls  all  who  hear  this 

And  boys  be  good  also, 

And  your  Mammas  will  give  you 
all 

Great  coats  and  hoods,  I  know. 


The  morning  come- 
on, 


-the  hood  put 


The  pot  and  cake  she  took, 

Biddy,  good  bye— good  bye,  inamma 

And  then  her  hand  she  shook : 
And  so  set  off  for  grandmamma^ s 

Matnma  stood  at  the  door. 
And  watched  her  little  Biddy  till 

She  could  see  her  no  more. 


You  see  this  pot  of  butter  nice. 
And  likewise  this  plum-cake. 

Which  Httle  Biddy's  dear  mamma 
For  grandmamma  did  make  : 

Who  lived  in  a  Httle  house, 

A  mile  or  two  away, 

And  Red  Riding  Hood  must  take 
them, 

To  Grandmamma  next  day 


Now 


in  the  road 
house, 


to   grandma's 


A  lonesome  wood  there  lay. 

And  Goffip   Wolf  popp'd  from 
bush. 

And  stopp'd  her  in  the  way 
He  was  a  fierce  and  cruel  beast. 

And  would  have  eat  her  there, 
But  turning  of  his  head  about. 

He  found  he  did  not  dare. 


2   D 


202 


THE   HISTORY   OF 


I'm  going  to  my  grandmamma' Sy 

She  is  not  very  well, 
With  cake  and  pot  of  butter  ; 

Says  Wolfyfh.cxQ  does  she  dwell  ? 
In  yonder  house,  by  yonder  mill 

Good  bye — I  cannot  stay— 
And  with  her  pretty  fmger,  she 

Pointed  out  the  way. 


p 

s 

Now  grandmamma  being  very  ill. 

She  on  the  bed  did  lie, 
And  called  out,  the  bobbin  pull. 

And  up  the  latch  will  fly  ; 

The    bobbin   pull'd,  up  flew  the 
latch, 

The  W^<7//"popp'd  in  his  head 

And  soon  he  eat  up  grandmamma 

And  then  got  into  bed. 


The   Wolf  got  first  to  grandtna's 
door, 

And  knocked  toe,  toe,  toe ; 

Who  is  that,  said  grandmamma^ 

That  at  the  door  doth  knock  ; 

*Tis  your  grandaughter^   said  the 
Wolf, 

And  mimic' d  Biddy's  voice, 
Mamma  has  sent  you  a  plumb  cake, 

And  pot  of  butter  nice. 


Toe,  toe,  toe,  at  grandma^ s  door 

Knocked  Little  Red  Riding  Hood, 

Who's  there,  says  Wolf,  and  with  a 
voice. 

Like  grandma's  as  he  could  ; 
'Tis  your  grandaughter,  little  Bid 

With  cake  and  pot  of  butter ; 
The  bobbin  pull,  the  latch  will  fly, 

The  wicked  Wolfdxdi  mutter. 


THE  CATNACH  PRESS. 


203 


CINDERELLA. 


Here  Cinderella  you  may  see   . 

A  beauty  bright  and  fair, 
Her  real  name  was  Helena, 

Few  with  her  could  compare 
Besides  she  was  so  very  good, 

So  affable  and  mild, 
She  learned  to  pray  and  read 
her  book. 

Like  a  very  good  child. 


These  are  her  two  sisters-in-law, 

Both  deformed  &  ordinary, 
Altho'  they  dress  as  fine  as 
queens, 
Which  you  may  think  ex- 
traordinary ;  (read, 
But  neither  of  them  scarce  can 
Nor  pray  to  God  to  bless'em 
They  only  know  to  patch  and 
paint, 
And  gaudily  to  dress'em, 


Her  mother-in-law  you  see, 
One  of  the  worst  of  hags, 
Who  made  her  do  all  drudgery 
work. 
And  clothed  her  in  rags  ; 
And   after  she  had  done  her 
work,  (tell  her 

Her  mother-in-law    would 
The  cinders  she  might  sit  a- 
mong, 
Then  call'd  her  Cinderella. 


This  is  the  king's  fine  gallant 
son, 
Young,  handsome,  straight 
and  tall 
He  invited  all  the  ladies  round 

For  to  dance  at  his  ball; 
Which   when  the  ugly  sisters 
heard 
They  dress'd  themselves  so  fine, 
And  off  they  set,  being  resolv'd 
At  this  grand  ball  to  shine. 

2   D  2 


204 


THE  HISTORY  OF 


Her  god-mother  came  to  lend 
her  aid, 
And  her  power  is  not  small 
To  help  her  god-daughter  to  go 

To  this  fine  prince's  ball. 
This  coach  was  once  a  pump- 
kin, (that, 
By  the  fairy  changed  from 
The  footmen  once  were  lizards 
green. 
The  coachman  once  a  rat. 


But  in  her  haste  to  get  away, 

One  of  her  slippers  fell. 
Which  the  young  prince  him- 
self pick'd  up, 
And  it  pleased  him  so  well, 
That  straight  he  offer' d  a  re- 
ward, 
It  was  ten  thousand  pound, 
To  any  person  that  could  tell 
Where  the  owner  could  be 
found. 


Now  having  danced  with  the 
prince. 

He  led  her  to  her  place. 
While  all  the  ladies  at  the  ball 

Envied  her  handsome  face  ; 
Behold  the  clock  now  striking 
twelve. 

Out  Cinderella  run, 
And  happily  got  out  of  door 

Just  as  the  clock  had  done. 


And  now  the  sisters  tried  in 
vain 
The  slipper  to  get  on  ; 
Said  Cinderella,  let  me  try, 
Dear  sisters,   when    you've 
done ;  (ease 

She  tried,  and  on  it  went  with 

To  the  foot  of  Cinderella, 
Said  She,  I  think  the  slipper's 
mine. 
See  here  I've  got  the  fellow. 


THE    CATNACH   PRESS. 


THE  CHILD'S 
NEW  YEAR'S  GIFT. 


205 


A  pair  of  Spectacles. 

Without  a  bridle  or  a  sad- 
dle, 

Across  a  thing  I  ride  and 
straddle. 

And  those  I  ride  by  help 
of  me, 

Tho'  almost  blind  are  made 
to  see. 


A  pair  of  Stays. 

My  legs  I  can  venture, 

To  say  within  bound, 

Are  twelve,  if  not  more, 

Tho'  they  ne'er  touch  the 
ground ; 

If  you  search  for  my  eyes, 
More  than  thirty  you'll  find 

And  strange  to  be  told 
They  are  always  behind. 


A  Fin. 

And  tho'  I'm  a  brazen-fac'd 
sharper  at  best, 

No  lady  without  my  aid  can 
be  drest, 

When  I'm  wanted,  Im  dragg'd 
by  the  head  to  my  duty 

And  am  doomed  to  be  slave  to 
the  dress  of  a  beauty. 


A  letter  M. 

I'm  found  in  most  countries, 

Yet  not  in  earth  or  sea, 
I  am  in  all  timber, 

Yet  not  in  any  tree, 
I  am  in  all  metals, 

Yet,  as  I  am  told, 
I  am  not  in  iron,  lead. 

Brass,  silver,  nor  gold. 


A  Pair  of  Snuffers. 

A  mouth  I  have  got,  that's  not 
whiter  than  ink. 

And  all   I  devour  doth  most 
nauseously  stink ; 

So  much  valued  am  I,  that  by 
none  I'm  refused, 

And  the  light  shines  the  bright- 
er whenever  I'm  used. 


A  WJieelbarrow. 

No  mouth,  no  eyes,  nor  yet  a 
nose, 

Two  arms  two  feet,  and  as  it 
goes, 

The    feet    don't    touch     the 
ground. 

But  all  the  way  the  head  runs 
round. 


And  tho*  I  can  both  speak  and 

go  alone,  (unknown. 

Yet  are  my  motions  to  myself 


k 


My  form  is  beauteous  to  allure 

the  sight  (white, 

My  habit  gay,  of  colour  gold  & 

When  ladies  take  the  air,  it  is 
my  pride,  (their  side, 

To  walk  with  equal  paces  by 

I  near  their  persons  constantly 
remain,         (golden  chain 

A  favourite  slave,  bound  in  a 


A  SalatnaJider. 

What  all  consumes  best  pleases 
me, 

I  covet  that  which  others  flee, 

Strange  thing  to  tell,  unhurt  Hie 

And  live,  where  all  the  world 
would  die. 


Printed  by  A.  Ryle  &  Paul. 


London : 
Publislied  by  RYLE  &  PAUL, 

2  &  3,  Monmouth  Court,  Seven  Dials. 


2o8 


THE   HISTORY   OF 


Was  an  Archer, 
Who  shot  at  a  frog. 


Was  an  Esquire, 
With  insolent  "brow. 


Was  a  Butcher, 
And  kept  a  great  dog. 


Was  a  Farmer,  And 
Followed  the  plough. 


Was  a  Captain, 

All  covered  with  lace. 


Was  a  Gamester, 
Who  had  but  ill-luck. 


Was  a  Drunkard 
And  had  a  red  face. 


Was  a  Huntsman, 
And  hunted  a  buck. 


THE   CATNACH   PRESS. 


!09 


Was  an  Inn-keeper, 
Who  loved  to  "bouse. 


Was  a  Joiner, 

And  built  up  a  house. 


Was  King  William,  ' 
Once  governed  this  land. 


Was  a  Lady,  who 
Had  a  white  hand 


Was  a  Miser, 

And  hoarded  up  gold. 


Was  a  Nobleman, 
Gallant  and  bold. 


Was  an  Oyster-wench, 
And  went  about  town. 


Was  a  Parson,  and 
Wore  a  black  gown. 


2    E 


2X0 


THE   HISTORY   OF 


Was  a  Queen, 

Who  was  fond  of  flip. 


Was  a  Usurer, 
A  miserly  elf. 


Was  a  Kobber, 
And  wanted  a  whip. 


Was  a  Sailor, 

Who  spent  all  he  got. 


Was  a  Tinker, 
And  mended  a  pot. 


Was  a  Vinter,  who 
Drank  all  himself. 


Was  a  Watchman, 
And  gaurded  the  door. 


Was  Expensive, 
And  so  became  poor. 


THE   CATNACH    PRESS. 


211 


Was  a  Youth, 
Who  did  not  love  school. 


Was  a  Zany, 
A  silly  old  fool. 


THE  ALPHABET. 

The  Letters  promiscuously  arranged. 

DBCFGEHAXUYMV 
WNKP  JOZQISLTR 

zwxoclybbfpsmqnvh 
krtgejaui 

Double  and  Triple  Letters. 

fi  fl  ff  ffi  ffl 
fiflfff  ffi  fl 

Diphthongs,  &c. 

AE     (E     se    oe    &     &c. 

JE   OE     ae     oe     and  et  eoetera 


Arabic  Numerals. 

1234567890 

Roman  Numerals. 

I.  II  III.  IV.  V.  VI.  VII.  VIII.  IX. 
X.  XI.  XII.  XIII.  XIV. 


Veoman  i         Zebra 


THE   LIFE 

AND  ADVENTURES 

OF 

DICK    fE^RFlNF. 


Loudon  :  W.  S.  FOBTEY,  PKINTER  &  PUBLISHER, 
MONMOUIH  COURT,  BLOOMSBURY,  W.G. 


214  THE    HISTORY   OF 

THE 

LIFE   AND  ADVENTURES 

OF 

DICK  TURPIN. 


RICHAED  TURPIN  was  born  at  Hempstead,  in  Essex,  where 
his  father  kept  the  sign  of  the  Bell ;  and  after  being  the  usual  time  at 
school,  he  was  bound  apprentice  to  a  butcher  in  Whitechapel,  but  did 
not  serve  out  his  time,  for  his  master  discharged  him  for  impropriety 
of  conduct,  which  was  not  in  the  least  diminished  by  his  parents' 
indulgence  in  supplying  him  with  money,  which  enabled  him  to  cut  a 
figure  round  the  town,  among  the  blades  of  the  road  and  the  turf, 
whose  company  he  usually  kept. 

His  friends,  thinking  that  marriage  would  reclaim  him,  persuaded 
him  to  marry,  which  he  did  with  one  Hester  Palmer,  of  East  Ham  in 
Essex,  but  he  had  not  long  been  married  before  he  became  acquainted 
with  a  gang  of  thieves,  whose  depredations  terrified  the  whole  county 
of  Essex,  and  the  neighbourhood  of  London.  He  joined  sheep  stealing 
to  foot-pad  robbery  ;  and  was  at  last  obliged  to  fly  from  his  place  of 
residence  for  stealing  a  young  heifer,  which  he  killed  and  cut  up  for 
sale. 

Soon  after,  he  stole'two  oxen  from  one  Farmer  Giles,  of  Plaistow, 
and  drove  them  to  a  Butcher's  slaughtering  house,  near  Waltham 
Abbey. 

He  was  followed  there,  but  made  his  escape  out  of  the  window  of 
the  house  where  he  was,  just  as  they  were  entering  the  door. 

He  now  retreated  into  the  Hundreds  of  Essex,  where  he  found 
more  security  :  he  adopted  a  new  scheme ;  and  that  was  to  rob  the 
smugglers,  but  he  took  care  not  to  attack  a  gang,  only  solitary 
travellers,  this  he  did  with  a  colour  of  justice,  for  he  pretended  to  have 
a  deputation  from  the  Customs,  and  demanded  their  property  in  the 
king's  name. 

He  again  joined  the  gang  with  whom  he  had  before  connected 
himself,  the  principal  part  of  those  depredations  were  committed  upon 
Epping  Forest,  &c. 

But  this  soon  becoming  an  object  of  magisterial  enquiry,  he  again 
returned  to  the  solitude  of  the  country,  with  some  more  of  the  gang, 
and  they  became  notorious  deer-stealers,  and  Turpin  being  a  good  shot, 
sent  many  a  buck  up  to  his  connections  in  London. 


THE   CATNACH    PRESS.  21$ 


DICK  TUKPIN.  3 

They  next  tletermined  to  commence  house-breakers ;  and  in  this 
they  were  much  encouraged  by  joining  with  Gregory's  gang,  as  it  was 
then  called,  a  company  of  desparadoes  that  made  the  Essex  and 
adjacent  roads  very  dangerous  to  travel. 

Somehow  or  other,  Turpin  became  acquainted  with  the  circum- 
stances of  an  old  woman,  that  lived  at  Laughton,  that  kept  a  great 
quantity  of  cash  by  her;  whereupon  they  agreed  to  rob  her  ;  and 
when  they  came  to  the  door,  Wheeler  knocked  and  Turpin  and  the 
rest  forcing  their  way  into  the  house,  blindfolded  the  eyes  of  the  old 
woman  and  her  maid,  and  tied  the  legs  of  her  son  to  the  bedstead,  but 
not  finding  the  wished -for  booty,  they  held  a  consultation,  as  they 
were  certain  she  must  have  a  considerable  sum  concealed.  Turpin 
told  her  he  knew  she  had  money,  and  it  was  in  vain  to  deny  it,  for  have 
it  they  would.  The  old  lady  persisted  that  she  had  none,  but  Turpin 
insisting  she  had  money,  he  swore  he  would  put  her  on  the  fire.  She 
continued  obstinate  and  endured  for  some  time,  when  they  took  her  oflf 
the  grate,  and  robbed  her  of  all  they  codd  find,  upwards  of  four 
hundred  pounds. 

They  next  proceeded  into  Surrey,  where  Turpin  and  his  company 
robbed  ^Ir.  Sheldon's  house,  near  Croydon  Church,  where  they  arrived 
about  seven  o'clock  in  the  evening.  They  secured  the  coachman  in  the 
stable.  His  master  hearing  some  strange  voices  in  the  yard,  was  pro- 
ceeding to  know  the  cause,  when  he  was  met  by  Turpin,  who  seizing 
hold  of  him  compelled  him  to  show  them  the  way  into  the  house,  when 
he  secured  the  door,  and  confined  the  rest  of  the  family  in  one  room, 
here  they  found  but  little  plate  and  no  cash.  From  ]SIr.  Sheldon's 
person  they  took  eleven  guineas,  two  of  which  Turpin  returned  him, 
begged  pardon  for  what  they  had  done,  and  wished  him  a  good  night. 
These  robberies  hitherto  had  been  carried  on  entirely  on  foot,  with 
only  the  occasional  assistance  of  a  hackney  coach  but  now  they  aspired 
to  appear  on  horse -back,  for  which  purpose  they  hired  horses  at  the 
Old  Leaping  Bar  in  Holborn,  from  whence  they  set  out  about  two 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  arrived  at  the  Queen's  Head,  Stanmore, 
where  they  staid  to  regale  themselves.  It  was  by  this  means  that 
Wood,  the  master  of  the  horse,  had  so  good  an  opportunity  of  observing 
the  horses,  as  to  remember  the  same  again  when  he  saw  them  after- 
wards in  Bloomsbury,  where  they  were  taken.  About  five  they 
went  from  Mr,  Wood's  to  Stanmore  and  staid  from  six  until  seven  and 
then  went  together  for  Mr.  Lawrence's,  about  a  mile  from  thence, 
where  they  got  about  half-past  seven.  On  their  arrival  at  I^L:. 
Lawrence's  they  alighted  from  their  horses  at  the  gate  ;  whereupon 
Fieldpr  knocked  at  the  door,  and  calling  out  Mr.  Lawrence.  The 
man  servant  thinking  it  to  be  some  of  the  neighbours,  opened  the 
door,  upon  which  they  all  rushed  in  with  pistols,  and  seizing  Mr. 


2l6 


THE   HISTORY  OF 


DICK  TURPIN 


Lawrence  and  his  man,  threw  a  cloth  over  their  faces  then 
loll  to  rifling  their  pockets,  out  of  which  they  took  one  guinea, 
and  about  fifteen  shillings  in  silver,  with  his  keys.  They  said  they 
must  have  more,  and  drove  Mr.  Lawrence  up  stairs,  where  coming  to 
a  closet,  they  broke  open  the  door,  and  took  out  fioiu  thence  two 
guineas,  ten  shillings  a  silver  cup,  13  silver  spoons,  and  two  gold  rings. 
The_y  then  rifled  the  house  of  ail  they  could  get,  linen,  table  cloths, 
sljirte,  and  the  shtets  off  the  bed,  and  trod  the  beds  under  feet,  to  dis- 
cover if  any  money  was  concealed  therein.  Suspecting  there  was  more 
money  in  the  house,  they  thtn  brought  Mr.  Lawrence  down  again,  and 
threatened  to  cut  his  throat,  and  Fielder  put  a  knife  to  it,  as  though 
he  intended  to  do  it;  to  make  him  conl ess  what' money  was  in  the 
house.  One  of  them  took  a  chopping  bill,  and  threatened  to  cut  off  his 
leg  :  they  then  broke  his  head  with  their  pistols,  and  dragged  him 
about  by  the  hair  of  his  head.  Another  of  them  took  the  kettle  off  the 
fire,  ana  flung  it  upon  him  ;  but  it  did  no  other  harm  just  wetting 
him,  because  the  maid  had  just  before  taken  out  the  greater  part  of 
the  boiling  water,  and  filled  it  again  with  cold.  Alter  this  they 
dragged  him  about  again,  swearing  they  would  "do  for  him"  if  he 
did  not  immediately  inform  them  where  the  rest  of  the  money  was 
hid.  They  then  proceeded  to  make  a  further  search  ;  and  then  with- 
drew ;  threatening  to  return  again  in  half  au  hour,  and  kill  every  one 


THE   CATCACH   PRESS. 


217 


DICK  TUEPJN. 


they  found  loose.  So  saying  they  locked  them  in  the  parlour  and 
threw  the  keys  down  the  area. 

Turpin  by  this  robbery  got  but  little,  for  out  of  the  261,  they  took 
in  the  whole,  he  distributed  it  among  them  all  but  three  guineas  and 
six  shillings  and  six  pence. 

A  proclamation  was  issued  for  the  apprehension  of  the  oflfenders, 
and  a  pardon  and  501  was  offered  to  any  of  the  party  who  would 
impeach  his  accomplices,  which  however,  had  no  effect.  The  white 
Hart  in  Drury-lane  was  their  place  of  rendezvous.  Here  they 
planned  their  nightly  visits,  and  here  they  divided  their  spoil,  and 
spent  the  money  they  acquired. 

The  robbery  being  stated  to  the  oflBcers  of  Westminster,  Turpin 
set  off  to  Alton,  where  he  met  with  an  odd  encounter,  which  got  him 
the  best  companion  he  ever  had,  as  he  often  declared.  King,  the 
highwayman,  as  he  was  returning  from  this  place  to  London,  bein^ 
well  dressed  and  mounted,  Turpin  seeing  him  have  the  appearance  of 
a  substantial  gentleman,  rode  up  to  him,  and  thinking  him  a  fair 
mark,  bid  him  stand  and  deliver,  and  therewith  producing  his  pistols, 
Eling  fell  a  laughing  at  him,  and  said  "  what  dog  rob  dog  !  Come, 
come,  brother  Turpin,  if  you  don't  know  me,  I  know  you,  and  shall 
be  glad  of  your  company."  After  a  mutual  communication  of  cir- 
cumstances to  each  other,  they  agreed  to  keep  company,  and 
divide  good  or  ill  fortune  as  the  trumps  might  turn  up.  In  fact 
King  was  true  to  him  to  the  last,  which  was  for  more  than  three 
years. 

They  met  with  various  fortunes ;  but  being  too  well  known  to 


2   F 


2l8  THE   HISTORY  OF 


6  DICK  TUEPIN". 

remain  long  in  one  place,  and  as  no  honse  that  knew  them  would 
receive  them  in  it,  they  formed  the  resolution  of  making  themselves  a 
cave,  covered  with  bevins  and  earth,  and  for  that  purpose  pitched  upon 
a  convenient  place,  enclosed  with  a  thicket,  situated  oh  the  Waltham 
side  of  Epping,  near  the  sign  of  the  King's  Oak. 

In  this  place  Turpin  lived,  ate,  drank,  and  lay,  for  the  space  of 
six  years,  during  the  first  three  of  which  he  was  enlivened  by  the 
drollery  of  his  companion,  Tom  King,  who  was  a  fellow  of  infinite 
humour  in  telling  stories,  and  of  an  unshaken  resolution  in  attack  or 
defence. 

One  day,  as  they  were  spying  from  their  cave,  they  discovered  a 
gentleman  riding  by,  that  King  knew  very  well  to  be  a  rich  merchant 
near  Gresham  College.  This  gentleman  was  in  his  chariot,  and  wife 
with  him  ;  his  name  was  Bradele.  King  first  attacked  him  on  the 
Laughton  road  ;  but  he  being  a  man  of  great  spirit,  ofi'ered  to  make 
resistence,  thinking  there  was  but  one  ;  upon  which  King  called 
Turpin,  and  bid  him  hold  the  horses'  heads.  They  proceeded  first  to 
take  his  money,  which  he  readily  parted  with,  but  demurred  a  good 
while  about  his  watch,  being  the  dying  bequest  of  his  father.  King 
was  insisting  to  take  it  away,  when  Turpin  interposed,  and  said,  they 
were  more  gentlemen  than  to  deprive  anyone  of  their  friend's  respect 
which  they  wore  about  them,  and  bid  King  desist  from  his  demand. 

On  the  day  after  this  transaction  they  went  to  the  Ked  Lion  ale 
house,  in  Aldersgate  street,  where  they  had  not  been  more  than  half 
an  hour,  when  Turpin  heard  of  the  approach  of  the  chief  constable 
and  his  party  ;  they  mounted  each  their  horse  ;  but  before  King  could 
get  fairly  seated  he  was  seized  by  one  of  the  party,  and  called  on  Dick 
to  fire.  Turpin  replied,  *'  If  I  do,  I  shall  hit  you."  **  Fire,  if  you 
are  my  friend."  said  King — Turpin  fired,  but  the  ill-fated  ball  took 
effect  in  King's  breast.  Dick  stood  a  moment  in  grief,  but  self- 
preservation  made  him  urge  his  mare  forward  to  elude  his  pursuers  ; 
it  was  now  he  resolved  on  a  journey  to  York,  and  raising  himself  in 
his  saddle,  he  said,  "  By  G — ,  I  will  do  it."  Encouraged  by  "  Hark- 
away  Bess,"  she  flew  on. 

Astonishing  to  relate,  he  reached  York  the  same  evening  and  was 
noticed  playing  at  bowls  in  the  bowling-green  with  several  gentlemen 
there,  which  circumstance  saved  him  from  the  hands  of  justice  for  a 
time.  His  pursuers  coming  up  and  seeing  Turpin,  knew  him  ;  and 
caused  him  to  be  taken  into  custody ;  one  of  them  swore  to  him  and 
the  horse  he  rode  on,  which  was  the  identical  one  he  arrived  upon  in 
that  city  ;  but  on  being  in  the  stable,  and  its  rider  at  play,  and  all  in 
the  space  of  four-and-twenty  hours,  his  alibi  was  admitted ;  for  the 
magistrates  of  York  could  not  believe  it  possible  for  one  horse  to  cover 
the  ground,  being  upwards  of  190  mileS|  in  so  short  a  space. 


THE  CATNACH   PRESS.  219 


DICK  TURPIN.  7 

For  the  last  two  years  of  his  life  he  seems  to  have  confined  his 
residence  to  the  county  of  York,  where  he  appears  to  be  a  little  known. 
He  often  accompanied  the  neighbouring  gentlemen  in  their  parties  of 
hunting  and  shooting ;  and  one  evening,  on  a  return  from  an  expedi- 
tion of  the  latter  kind,  he  saw  one  of  his  landlord's  cocks  in  the  street, 
which  he  shot. 

The  next  day  IMr.  Hall  received  a  letter  from  Robert  Appleton, 
Long  Sutton,  with  this  account : — that  the  said  John  Palmer  had  lived 
there  about  three  quarters  of  a  year,  and  had  before  that  been  once 
apprehended,  and  made  his  escape,  and  that  they  had  a  strong  suspicion 
he  was  guilty  of  horse -stealing. 

Another  information  gave  notice,  that  he  had  stolen  a  horse  from 
Captain  Dawson,  of  Ferraby  ;  his  horse  was  that  which  Turpin  rode  on 
when  he  came  to  Beverley,  and  which  he  stole  from  off  Hickinton  Fen 
in  Lincolnshire. 

He  wrote  to  his  father  upon  being  convicted,  to  use  his  interest  to 
get  him  off  for  transportation,  but  his  fate  was  at  hand,  his  notoriety 
caused  application  to  be  ineffectual. 

After  he  had  been  in  prison  five  months,  he  was  removed  from 
Beverley  to  York  Castle  to  take  his  trial.  When  on  his  trial  his  case 
seemed  much  to  affect  the  hearers.  H  e  had  two  trials,  upon  both  of 
which  he  was  convicted  upon  the  fullest  evidence.  After  a  long  trial 
the  Jury  brought  in  their  Verdict  and  found  him  Guilty. 

He  was  carried  in  a  cart  to  the  place  of  execution,  on  Saturday, 
April,  7th,  1739.  He  behaved  himself  with  amazing  assurance  and 
bowed  to  the  spectators  as  he  passed.  It  was  remarkable  that  as  he 
mounted  the  ladder,  his  right  leg  trembled,  on  which  he  stamped  it 
down  with  an  air,  'and  with  undaunted  courage  looked  round  about 
him  ;  and  after  speaking  near  half  an  hour  to  the  topman,  threw 
himself  off  the  ladder,  and  expired  in  about  fire  minutes. 


W.  S.  Fortey,  Printer,  Monmouth  Court,  Bloomsbury. 


2  F  2 


I 


"THE  OATNACH  PRESS,' 

(ESTABLISHED  1813.) 

(Sole  Successor  to  the  late  J.  Catnach,) 

rinter, 

AND 

2  &  3,   MONMOUTH  COURT, 

SEVEN  DIALS,  LONDON,  VV.C. 

The  Cheapest  and  Greatest  Variety  in  the 
Trade  of  Large  Coloured  Penny  Books  ;  Half- 
penny Coloured  Books  ;  Farthing  Books  ;  Penny 
and  Halfpenny  Panoramas ;  School  Books  ;  Penny 
and  Halfpenny  Song  Books  ;  Memorandum  Books; 
Poetry  Cards ;  Lotteries ;  Ballads  (4000)  and 
Hymns  ;  Valentines  ;  Scripture  Sheets  ;  Christmas 
Pieces  ;  Twelfth  Night  Characters  ;  Carols  ;  Book 
and  Sheet  Almanacks,  Envelopes,  Note  Paper,  &c. 

W.  S.  FORTEY  begs  to  inform  his  Friends  and  the  Public 
generally,  that  after  19  years  service  he  has  succeeded  to  the  business 
of  his  late  employers  (A.  Ryle  &  Co.),  and  intends  carrying  on  the 
same,  trusting  that  his  long  experience  will  be  a  recommendation,  and 
that  no  exertion  shall  be  wanting  on  his  part  to  merit  a  continuance 
of  those  favours  that  have  been  so  liberally  bestowed  on  that  Esta- 
blishment during  the  last  46  years. 

1859. 
= ^ 


The  Long  Song-Seller. 


Songs  and  Song  Literature. 

Old  songs,  old  songs — what  heaps  I  knew, 
From  ♦  Chevy  Chase  '  to  *  Black-eyed  Sue  ' ; 
From  *  Flow,  thou  regal,  purple  stream,' 
Tq  '  Rousseau's  melancholy  *  Dream  ! ' 
I  loved  the  pensive  *  Cabin  Boy,' 
With  earnest  truth  and  real  joy. 
To  greet  '  Tom  Bowling '  and  '  Poor  Jack  '  ; 
And,  oh  !  '  Will  Watch,'  the  '  Smuggler'  bold, 
My  plighted  troth  thou'lt  ever  hold." 

Eliza  Cook. 


Songs  !  Songs  !  Songs  !  Beautiful  songs  !  Love  songs !  Newest 
songs !  Old  songs !  Popular  songs !  Songs,  Three  Yards  a  Penny  /  " 
was  a  "  standing  dish  "  at  the  "  Catnach  Press,"  and  Catnach 
was  the  Leo  X.  of  street  publishers.     And  it  is  said  that  he  at 


222  THE  HISTORY  OF 

one  time  kept  a  fiddler  on  the  premises,  and  that  he  used  to  sit 
receiving  ballad-writers  and  singers,  and  judging  of  the  merits  of 
any  production  which  was  brought  to  him,  by  having  it  sung 
then  and  there  to  some  popular  air  played  by  his  own  fiddler, 
and  so  that  the  ballad-singer  should  be  enabled  to  start  at  once, 
not  only  with  the  new  song,  but  also  the  tune  to  which  it  was 
adapted.  His  broad-sheets  contain  all  sorts  of  songs  and  ballads, 
for  he  had  a  most  catholic  taste,  and  introduced  the  custom  of 
taking  from  any  writer,  living  or  dead,  whatever  he  fancied,  and 
printing  it  side  by  side  with  the  productions  of  his  own  clients. 

He  naturally  had  a  bit  of  a  taste  for  old  ballads,  music,  and 
song  writing ;  and  in  this  respect  he  was  far  in  advance  of  many 
of  his  contemporaries.  To  bring  within  the  reach  of  all  the 
standard  and  popular  works  of  the  day,  had  been  the  ambition 
of  the  elder  Catnach  ;  whilst  the  son  was,  nolens  volens,  incessant 
in  his  endeavours  in  trying  to  promulgate  and  advance,  not  the 
beauty,  elegance,  and  harmony  which  pervades  many  of  our 
national  airs  and  ballad  poetry,  but  very  often  the  worst  and 
vilest  of  each  and  every  description — in  other  words,  those  most 
suitable  for  street-sale.  His  stock  of  songs  was  very  like  his 
customers,  diversified.  There  were  all  kinds,  to  suit  all  classes. 
Love,  sentimental,  and  comic  songs  were  so  interwoven  as  to 
form  a  trio  of  no  ordinary  amount  of  novelty.  At  ordinary  times, 
when  the  Awfuls  and  Sensationals  were  flat,  Jemmy  did  a  large 
stroke  of  business  in  this  line. 

It  is  said  that  when  the  *' Songs — Three-yards-a-petiny  " — first 
came  out  and  had  all  the  attractions  of  novelty,  some  men  sold 
twelve  or  fourteen  dozen  on  fine  days  during  three  or  four  of  the 
summer  months,  so  clearing  between  6s.  and  7  s.  a  day,  but  on 
the  average  about   25s.   a  week  profit.     The   "long  songs," 


THE   CATNACH    PRESS.  223 

however,  have  been  quite  superseded  by  the  "Monster"  and 
**  Giant  Penny  Song  Books."  Still  there  are  a  vast  number  of 
half-penny  ballad-sheets  worked  off,  and  in  proportion  to  their 
size,  far  more  than  the  "  Monsters  "  or  *'  Giants." 

As  a  rule  there  are  but  two  songs  printed  on  the  half-penny 
ballad-sheets — generally  a  new  and  popular  song  with  another 
older  ditty,  or  a  comic  and  sentimental,  and  *'  adorned "  with 
two  woodcuts.  These  are  selected  without  any  regard  as  to 
their  fitness  to  the  subject,  and  in  most  cases  have  not  the 
slightest  reference  to  the  ballad  of  which  they  form  the  head- 
piece. For  instance  : — *'  The  Heart  that  can  feel  for  another  " 
is  illustrated  by  a  gaunt  and  savage  looking  lion  ;  "  When  I  was 
first  Breeched,"  by  an  engraving  of  a  Highlander  sans  culotte ; 
"  The  Poacher  "  comes  under  the  cut  of  a  youth  with  a  large 
watering-pot,  tending  flowers ;  "  Ben  Block  "  is  heralded  by  the 
rising  sun;  "  The  London  Oyster  Girl,"  by  Sir  Walter  Raleigh ; 
**  The  Sailor's  Grave,"  by  the  figure  of  Justice ;  "  Alice  Grey  " 
comes  under  the  very  dilapidated  figure  of  a  sailor,  or  "  Jolly 
Young  Waterman ; "  '*  Bright  Hours  are  in  store  for  us  yet "  is 
headed  with  a  tail-piece  of  an  urn,  on  which  is  inscribed  Finis  ! 
"  The  Wild  Boar  Hunt,"  by  two  wolves  chasing  a  deer ;  "  The 
Dying  Child  to  its  Mother,"  by  an  Angel  appearing  to  an  old 
man ;  "  Autumn  Leaves  lie  strew'd  around,"  by  a  ship  in  full  sail; 
"  Cherry  Ripe,"  by  Death's  Head  and  Cross  Bones ;  Jack  at  the 
Windlass,"  falls  under  a  Roadside  Inn  ;  while  **  William  Tell "  is 
presented  to  the  British  public  in  form  and  style  of  an  old  woman 
nursing  an  infant  of  squally  nature.  Here  follow  a  few  examples 
of  the  style,  also  that  of  some  of  the  ballad-sheets  :  together  with 
various  verbatim  imprints  used  by  "The  Catnach  Press," 
chronologically  arranged  from  circa  1813  to  the  present  time. 


224 


THE   HISTORY  OF 


THE  GALLANT 

SAMJLOH. 


London : 
Printed  by  J.  Catnach,  and  sold  Wholesale  and  Retail  at 
No.  60,  Wardour  Street,  Soho  Square. 


Farewell  thou  dear  and  Gallant  Sailor, 
Since  thou  and  I  have  parted  been, 

Be  thou  constant  and  true  hearted, 
And  I  will  be  the  same  to  thee. 

CHORUS. 

May  the  winds  and  waves  direct  thee, 
To  some  wishful  port  design'd, 

If  you  love  me,  don't  deceive  me, 
But  let  your  heart  be  as  true  as  mine. 


When  oft  times  my  fancy  tells  me, 

That  in  battle  thou  art  slain, 
With  true  love  I  will  requite  thee. 
When  thou  dost  return  again. 

May  the  winds,  &c. 


THE  CATNACH  PRESS. 


225 


0  Ejaai  TCRPiM. 


Printed  by  J.  Catnach,  2,  Monmouth  Court,  7  Dials. 
Sold  by  J.  Sharman.  Cambridge,  Bennet,  Brighton ;  &  R.  Harris,  Salisbury. 


As  I  was  riding  over  Hunslow  Moor, 

There  I  saw  a  lawyer  riding  before, 

And  I  asked  him  if  he  was  not  afraid, 

To  meet  bold  Turpin  that  mischievous  blade. 

CHORUS. — I  asked  him  if  he  was  not  afraid, 

To  meet  bold  Turpin  that  mischievous  blade. 

Says  Turpin  to  the  lawyer  and  for  to  be  cute, 

My  money  I  have  hid  all  in  my  boot, 

Says  the  lawyer  to  Turpin  they  mine  can't  find, 

For  I  have  hid  mine  in  the  cape  of  my  coat  behind. 

I  rode  till  I  came  to  a  powder  mill. 

Where  Turpin  bid  the  lawyer  for  to  stand  still. 

For  the  cape  of  your  coat  it  must  come  off, 

For  my  horse  is  in  want  of  a  new  saddle  cloth. 

Now  Turpin  robbed  the  lawyer  of  all  his  store, 

When  that's  gone  he  knows  where  to  eret  more, 

And  the  very  next  town  that  you  go  in, 

Tell  them  you  was  robb'd  by  the  bold  Turpin. 


2   G 


2  26  THE   HISTORY  OF 


MOUNTAIN    MAID. 


Printed  by  J.  Catnach,  2,  Moumouth  Court,  7  Dials. 

Travellers  and  Shopkeepers  supplied  with  Sheet  Hymns.     Patters,  and  Slip 

Songs  as  Cheap  and  Good  as  any  Shop  in  London. 


The  Mountain  Maid  from  her  bower  has  hied, 

And  speed  to  the  glassy  river's  side, 

Where  the  radiant  mead  shone  clear  and  bright, 

And  the  willows  wav'd  in  the  silver  light. 

On  a  mossy  bank  lay  a  shepherd  swain, 

He  woke  his  pipe  to  tuneful  strain, 

And  so  blythely  gay  were  the  notes  he  play'd, 

That  he  charm'd  the  ear  of  the  Mountain  Maid. 

She  step'd  with  timid  fear  oppress'd, 

While  soft  sighs  swell  her  gentle  breast, 

He  caught  her  glance,  and  mark'd  her  sigh, 

And  triumph  laugh'd  in  his  sparkling  eye. 

So  softly  sweet  was  the  tuneful  ditty, 

He  charmed  her  tender  heart  to  pity ; 

And  so  bHthely  gay  were  the  notes  he  play'd, 

That  he  gain'd  the  heart  of  the  Mountain  Maid, 


THE   CATNACH    PRESS. 


327 


MEET  ME  IN  THE  WILLOW  GLEN 


J.  Catnach,  Printer,  2,  Monmouth  Court,  7  Dials.     Cards,  &c.  Printed 
Cheap,    1^  Country  Shops  and  Travellers  supplied. 


Meet  me  in  the  willow  glen, 

Where  the  silvery  moon  is  beaming, 
Songs  of  love  I'll  sing  thee  then, 

When  all  the  world  is  dreaming. 

Meet  me  in  the  willow  glen. 

When  the  silver  moon  is  beaming, 
Songs  of  love  I'll  sing  thee  then, 

If  you  meet  me  in  th^  willow  glen. 

No  prying  eye  shall  come  love. 

No  stranger  foot  be  seen. 
And  the  busy  village  hum,  love, 

Shall  echo  through  the  glen. 

Meet  me,  &c. 


2  G  2 


228 


THE   HISTORY  OF 


DRINK     TO    ME     O  N  Ii  T 

WITH   THING   CITES. 


J.  Oatnach,  Printer,  2,  Monmouth  Court,  7  Dials.     Sold  by  W.  Marshall. 
Sold  by  T.  Pierce,  Soutbborough.     (Card&  Printed  Cheap.) 


Drink  to  me  only  with  thine  eyes, 

And  I  will  pledge  with  mine, 
Or  leave  a  kiss  but  in  the  cup, 

And  I'll  not  look  for  wine  ; 
The  thirst  that  from  my  soul  doth  rise. 

Doth  ask  a  drink  divine ; 
But  might  I  of  Jove's  nectar  sip, 

I  would  not  change  for  thine. 


THE   CATNACH   PRESS. 


229 


The  Mistletoe  Bough 

Printed  by  by  J.  Catnach,  2,  Monmouth  Court,  7  Dials.     Sold  by  Puree, 
Southborough,  Bennet,  Brighton  j  and  Sharman,  Cambridge. 

The  mistletoe  hung  in  the  castle  hall, 
The  holly  branch  shone  on  the  old  oak  wall, 
The  baron's  retainers  were  blithe  and  gay, 
And  keeping  their  Christmas  holiday. 
The  baron  beheld  with  a  father's  pride, 
His  beautiful  child,  young  Lovell's  bride  : 
While  she  with  her  bright  eyes,  seemed  to  be 
The  star  of  the  goodly  company. 

Oh !  the  mistletoe  bough  ! 

"  I'm  weary  of  dancing  now,"  she  cried  ! 
"  Here  tarry  a  moment — I'll  hide — I'll  hide, 
And,  Lovell,  be  sure  thou'rt  the  first  to  trace 
The  clue  to  my  secret  lurking  place." 
Away  she  ran — and  her  friends  began 
Each  tower  to  search,  and  each  nook  to  scan ; 
And  young  Lovell  cried,  *'  Oh  I  where  dost  thou  hide  ? 
I'm  lonesome  without  thee,  my  own  dear  bride." 
Oh  !  the  mistletoe  bough  ! 


230 


THE   HISTORY  OF 


THE 

Mose  vxill  Cease  to  Blow. 


Printed  by  J.  Catnach,  2,  Monmouth  Court,  7  Dials.     Sold  by  T.  Batchelor, 

14,  Hackney  Road  Crescent ;  W.  Marshall,  Bristol.    Sold  by  Bennet 

and  Boyes,  Brighton. 


The  rose  will  cease  to  blow, 

The  eagle  turn  a  dove, 
The  streams  will  cease  to  flow, 

Ere  I  will  cease  to  love. 

The  sun  shall  cease  to  shine, 
The  world  shall  cease  to  move, 

The  stars  their  light  resign, 
Ere  I  will  cease  to  love. 


THE  CATNACH    PRESS. 


231 


1 

m 

'^^^^BBp^ 

■ 

^^Bffi 

1 

I'M  A  TOUGH 

True  Hearted  Sailor. 


J.  Catnach,  Printer,  2  &  3,  Monmouth  Court,  7  Dials,  &  at  14,  Waterloo 
Road,  (late  Hill's).    Country  Shops,  and  Travellers  supplied. 

I'm  a  tough  true-hearted  sailor, 

Careless  and  all  that,  d'ye  see, 
Never  at  the  times  a  railer — 

What  is  time  or  tide  to  me  ? 
All  must  die  when  fate  must  will  it, 

Providence  ordains  it  so ; 

Every  bullet  has  its  billet, 
Man  the  boat,  boys — Yeo,  heave,  yeo  ! 

Life's  at  best  a  sea  of  trouble, 

He  who  fears  it  is  a  dunce. 
Death,  to  me,  an  empty  bubble, 

I  can  never  die  but  once, 
Blood,  if  duty  bids,  I'll  spill  it, 

Yet  I  have  a  tear  for  woe, 

Every  bullet  has  its  billet,  &c, 


^s 


THE    HISTORY    OF 


WHEN  BIBO  THOUGHT  FIT. 


Printed  and  Sold  by  J.  Catnach,  2  &  3,  Monmouth  Court,  7  Dials. 


When  Bibo  thought  fit  from  the  world  to  retreat, 
As  full  of  champagne  as  an  egg's  full  of  meat ; 
He  wak'd  in  the  boat,  and  to  Charon  he  said. 
He  would  be  rowed  back,  for  he  was  not  yet  dead. 

*  Trim  the  boat,  and  sit  quiet,  stern  Charon  replied — 

*  You  may  have  forgot — you  were  drunk  when  you  died  ! ' 


THE   CATNACH    PRESS. 


233 


THE 


SUN 

That  Lights  the  ROSES 


A.  Ryle  and  Co.,  Printers,  2  &  3,  Monmouth  Court,  Seven  Dials,  and  85, 

Hanover  Street,  Portsea,  where  upwards  of  4000  different  sorts  of  ballads 

are  continually  on  sale  together  with  40  new  penny  song  books. 


Tho'  dimple  cheeks  may  give  delight 

Where  rival  beauties  blossom ; 
Th'o  balmy  lips  to  love  invite, 

To  extacy  the  bosom. 
Yet  sweeter  far  yon  summer  sky, 

Whose  blushing  tints  discloses, 
Give  me  the  lustre  beaming  eye, 

The  Sun  that  lights  the  Roses. 


2  H 


234 


THE    HISTORY   OF 


THE 

Woodpecker. 

London  :— Printed  by  J.  Paul  &  Co.,  2  &  3,  Monmouth  Court. 

I  knew  by  the  smoke  that  so  gracefully  curl'd 
Above  the  green  elms,  that  a  cottage  was  near, 

And  I  said  if  there's  peace  to  be  found  it  the  world, 
A  heart  that  is  humble  might  hope  for  it  here. 

CHORUS. 
Every  leaf  was  at  rest,  and  I  heard  not  a  sound, 
But  the  woodpecker  tapping  in  the  hollow  beech  tree. 

And  here  in  this  lone  littie  wood,  I  exclaim'd. 
With  a  maid  who  was  lovely  to  soul  and  to  eye, 

Who  would  blush  when  I  prais'd  her,  and  weep  if  I  blam'd, 
How  blest  could  I  live,  and  how  calm  could  I  die. 
Every  leaf,  &c. 


THE   CATNACH    PRESS. 


235 


YB 

Topers  All. 


\ 


London  : — Published  by  Ryle  and  Paul,  2  &  3,  Monmouh  Court,  7  Dials. 
Where  an  immense  number  of  songs  are  always  ready. 


Ye  topers  all  drink  to  the  soul, 

Of  this  right  honest  fellow ; 
Who  always  loved  a  flowing  bowl, 

And  would  in  death  be  mellow. 
The  lamp  of  life  be  kindled  up, 

With  spirit  stout  and  glowing ; 
His  heart  inspired  thus  with  a  cup, 

Ascends  where  nectar's  flowing. 


2   H  S 


236  THE   HISTORY   OF 


Death  of  Nelson. 


London  :  — Ryle  &  Co.,  Printers,  2  &  3,  Monmouth  Court,  Bloomsbury. 
RECITATIVE. 

O'er  Nelson's  tomb,  with  silent  grief  oppress'd 
Britannia  mourns  her  hero  now  at  rest. 
But  these  bright  laurels  ne'er  shall  fade  with  years, 
Whose  leaves  are  water'd  by  a  Nation's  tears. 

AIR. 

'Twas  in  Trafalgar's  bay. 
We  saw  the  Frenchmen  lay, 

Each  heart  was  bounding  then  ; 
We  scorned  the  foreign  yoke — 
Our  ships  were  British  oak, 

And  hearts  of  oak  our  men, 
Our  Nelson  mark'd  them  on  the  wave, 
Three  cheers  our  gallant  seamen  gave. 

Nor  thought  of  home  or  beauty ; 
Along  the  line  this  signal  ran — 
England  expects  that  every  man 

This  day  will  do  his  duty  ! " 


THE  CATNACH   PRESS. 


237 


TO  PO\S0N 
SELLERS* 

if 

m 

liiiiHililliiHiiiii 

& 

J^/ 

A 

THE  SCARLET  FLOWER. 


A.  Ryle  &  Co.,  Printers,  2  &  3,  Monmouth  Court,  Bloomabury. 


She's  gentle  as  the  zeph)rr, 

That  sips  ot  every  sweet, 
She  fairer  than  the  fairest  lily. 

In  nature's  soft  retreat ; 
Her  eyes  are  like  the  crystal  brok, 

As  bright  and  clear  to  see  ? 
Her  lips  outshine  the  Scarlet  Flow'r 

Of  bonny  EUerslie. 


238 


THE    HISTORY    OF 


THE  THORN. 


■M'^^f^'g 


London  :— Printed  at  the  "  Oatnach  Press"  by  W.  Fortey,  (late  A.  Ryle) 
2  &  3,  Monmouth  Court.  Bloomsbury.  (Established  1813.)  The  Oldest 
and  Cheapest  House  in  the  World  for  Ballads,  (4,000  sorts)  Song  Books,  Ac. 


From  the  white  blossomed  sloe, 

My  dear  Chlce  requested, 
A  sprig  her  fair  breast  to  adorn ; 

No  by  heavens  I  exclaimed,  may  I  perish 
If  ever  I  plant  in  that  bosom  a  thorn. 

When  I  shewed  her  the  ring  and  implored  her  to  marry 

She  blushed  like  the  dawning  of  morn, 
Yes  I'll  consent  she  replyed  if  you'll  promise, 

That  no  jealous  rival  shall  laugh  me  to  scorn, 
No  by  heavens  I  exclaim'd  may  I  perish, 

If  ever  I  plant  in  that  bosom  a  thorn. 


X 


THE   CATNACH    PRESS.  239 


BANKS 

OF  THE  NILE. 


$f'>dr:^::^^^3B>3$(!«ea£l^de^ . 


Printed  at  the  "  (^atnach  Press "  by   W.   FORTEY,  Monmouth  Court, 

Bloomsbury,  the  Oldest  House  in  the  World  for  Ballads  (4,000  sorts)  Song 

Books,  &c.  &c. 


Hark !  I  hear  the  drums  a  beating — no  longer  can  I  stay, 
I  hear  the  trumpets  sounding,  my  love  I  must  away, 
We  are  ordered  from  Portsmouth  many  a  long  mile, 
For  to  join  the  British  soldiers  on  the  banks  of  the  Nile. 

Willie,  dearest  Willie,  don't  leave  me  here  to  mourn, 
You'll  make  me  curse  and  rue  the  day  that  ever  I  was  born, 
For  the  parting  of  my  own  true  love  is  parting  of  my  life, 
So  stay  at  home  dear  Willie,  and  I  will  be  your  wife. 

I  will  cut  off  my  yellow  locks,  and  go  along  with  you, 

I  will  dress  myself  in  velveteens,  and  go  see  Egypt  too 

I  will  fight  or  bear  your  banner,  while  kind  fortune  seems  to  smile, 

And  we'll  comfort  one  another  on  the  banks  of  the  Nile. 


240  THE   HISTORY  OF 


Poor  Crazy 

JANE 


London  ;— Printed  at  the  "Catnach  Press  "  by  W.  S.  Fortey,  2  &  3,  Mon- 
mouth Court,  Bloomsbury.  (Established  1813,)  The  Oldest  and  Cheapest 
House  in  the  World  for  Ballade,  Song  Books,  Children's  Spelling  &  Reading 
Books,  Panorama  Slips,  Almanacks,  Valentines,  Hymns,  Toy  Cards, 
Poetry  Cards,  Lotteries,  Characters,  Note  Paper,  Envelopes,  &c. 
*j,f*  Shopkeepers  and  Hawkera  supplied  on  the  lowest  terms. 


i'-i_ii-^i_ii--ii._ii— -  _i^=^ 


Why  fair  maid  in  every  feature, 

Are  such  signs  of  fear  expressed, 
Can  a  wandering  wretched  creature, 

With  such  horror  fill  thy  breast. 
Do  my  frenzied  looks  alarm  thee, 

Trust  me,  sweet,  thy  fears  are  vain, 
Not  for  Kingdom  would  I  harm  thee. 

Shun  not  then  poor  crazy  Jane. 

Fondly  my  young  heart  believed  him, 

Which  was  doomed  to  love  but  one ; 
He  sighed,  he  vowed,  and  I  believed  him, 

He  was  false,  and  I'm  undone. 
From  that  hour  has  reason  never, 

Had  her  empire  o'er  my  brain, 
Henry  fled,  with  him  for  ever 

Fled  the  wits  of  Crazy  Jane. 


THE  CATNACH  PRESS. 


241 


'*  It  was  Christmas  morning— dear  Cbnstmas  morning 
When  bright  angels  and  men  kept  watch  for  its  dawning — 
And  merrily  Christmas  bells  were  out  ringing, 
And  blithely  the  children  their  carols  were  singing — 
'Twas  a  hundred  years  agone— or  more." 

From  time  immemorial  the  ballad  singer,  with  his  rough  and 
ready  broad-sheet,  has  travelled  over  the  whole  surface  of  the 
country  in  all  seasons  and  weathers,  yet  there  was  one  time  of 
the  year,  however,  when  he  went  out  of  his  every-day  path  and 
touched  on  deeper  matters  than  accidents,  politics,  prize  fights, 
sporting  matches,  murders,  battles,  royalty,  famous  men  and 
women.  Christmas  time  brought,  both  to  him  and  his  audience, 
its  witness  of  the  unity  of  the  great  family  of  heaven  and  earth, 
its  story  of  the  life  and  death  of  Him  in  whom  that  unity  stands. 

2  I 


242 


THE    HISTORY   OF 


Several  examples,  of  Christmas  carols  and  Scripture-sheets, 
bearing  Catnach's  imprint  lie  before  us,  thanks  to  the  kindness 
of  Mr.  W.  S.  Fortey,  Catnach's  successor;  these  broadsides 
bear  several  distinctive  marks  which  show  that  it  was  an  object 
of  more  than  ordinary  care  to  publishers  and  ballad  singers. 
In  the  first  place,  these  Christmas  sheets  are  double  the  size  of. 
the  ordinary  broad-sheet — measuring   30   inches   by  20 — and 


THE  CATNACH  PRESS.  243 

conta'.a  four  or  five  carols — generally  one  long  narrative  ballad, 
and  three  or  four  short  pieces.  Each  of  them  having  two  or 
three  large  woodcuts  and  several  of  smaller  sizes,  and  having 
the  following  distinctive  titles — The  Trial  of  Christ.  Faith, 
Hope,  and  Charity.  Our  Saviour^s  Love.  The  Tree  of  Life. 
The  Crucifixion.  The  Saviour  of  Mankind.  The  Messiah. 
The  Harp  of  Israel.  The  Saviour's  Garland.  Divine  Mirth. 
And  The  Life  of  Joseph,  to  which  is  appended : — 

LONDON:    PRINTED  AND  SOLD  BY 

J.  CATNACH,  2,  MONMOUTH  COURT,  7,  DIALS, 

WHERE  MAY  BE  HAD  THE  FOLLOWING  SHEETS,   WITH   CUTS. 

The  Last  Day,  Our  Saviour's  Letter,  The  Son  of  Righteousness, 
Travels  of  the  Children  of  Israel,  Glory  of,  Solomon,  The 
Morning  Star,  The  Noble  Army  of  Martyrs,  Christmas  Gambols, 
The  Hertfordshire  Tragedy,  and  a  Variety  of  Others  are  in  a 
state  of  forwardness  for  the  Press. 

"  Looking  at  these  Christmas  broad-sheets,"  says  the  writer  of 
an  article  on  street-ballads,  in  the  "National  Review,"  for 
October,  1861,  "it  would  really  seem  as  if  the  poorest  of  our 
brethren  claimed  their  right  to  higher  nourishment  than  common 
for  their  minds  and  souls,  as  well  as  for  their  bodies,  at  the 
time  of  year  when  all  Christendom  should  rejoice.  And  this 
first  impression  is  confirmed  when  we  examine  their  contents. 
In  all  those  which  we  have  seen,  the  only  piece  familiar  to  us 
is  that  noble  old  carol  '  While  shepherds  watched  their  flocks 
by  night,'  where  the  rest  come  from,  we  cannot  even  conjecture  ; 
but  in  the  whole  of  them  there  is  not  one  which  we  should  wish 
were  not  there.  We  have  been  unable  to  detect  in  them  even 
a  coarse  expression  j  and  of  the  hateful  narrowness  and  intoler- 

212 


244 


THE  HISTORY  OF 


ance,  the  namby-pamby,  the  meaningless  cant,  the  undue 
familiarity  with  holy  things,  which  makes  us  turn  with  a  shudder 
from  so  many  modem  collections  of  hymns,  there  is  simply 
nothing. 

"  Account  for  it  how  we  will,  there  is  the  simple  fact.  Perhaps 
it  may  lead  us  to  think  somewhat  differently  of  those  whom  we 
are  in  the  habit  of  setting  down  in  the  mass  as  little  better  than 
heathens.  We  cannot  conclude  this  article  better  than  by  giving 
an  extract  or  two  from  these  Christmas  broad-sheets." 


THE   CATNACH    PRESS 


245 


*  ^A^^-*.*>*^ 


"The  Saviour's  Garland,  a  choice  Collection  of  the  most 
esteemed  Carols,"  has  the  usual  long  narrative  ballad,  which 
begins : 

"  Come,  all  you  faithful  Christians 

That  dwell  upon  the  earth, — 
Come  celebrate  the  morning 

Of  our  dear  Saviour's  birth  : 
This  is  the  happy  morning, — 

This  is  the  happy  morn 
Whereon,  to  save  our  ruined  race. 

The  Son  of  God  was  bom." 

And  after  telling  simply  the  well-known  story,  it  ends  : 
"  Now  to  him  up  ascended, 
Then  let  your  praises  be. 
That  we  His  steps  may  follow. 

And  He  our  pattern  be  ; 
That  when  our  lives  are  ended 

We  may  hear  His  blessed  call : 
*  Come,  Souls,  receive  the  Kingdom 
Prepared  for  you  all' " 


246 


THE  HISTORY  OF 


Another,  "  The  Star  of  Bethlehem,  ^a  collection^  of|^esteemed 
Carols  for  the  present  year,"  opens  its  narrative  thus  : 

"  Let  all  that  are  to  mirth  inclined 
Consider  well  and  bear  in  mind 
What  our  good  God  for  us  has  done, 
In  sending  His  beloved  Son. 

Let  all  our  songs  and  praises  be 
Unto  His  heavenly  Majesty ; 
And  evermore  amongst  our  mirth 
Remember  Christ  our  Saviour's  birth. 

The  twenty-fifth  day  of  December 
We  have  great  reason  to  remember ; 
In  Bethlehem,  upon  that  morn. 
There  was  a  blessed  Saviour  born,"  &c. 


THE   CATNACH    PRESS.  247 

One  of  the  short  pieces,  by  no  means  the  best,  we  give 
whole : 

"  With  one  consent  let  all  the  earth 
The  praise  of  God  proclaim, 
Who  sent  the  Saviour,  by  whose  birth 
To  man  salvation  came. 

All  nations  join  and  magnify 

The  great  and  wondrous  love 
Of  Him  who  left  for  us  the  sky, 

And  all  the  joys  above. 

But  vainly  thus  in  liymns  of  praise 

We  bear  a  joyful  part, 
If  while  our  voices  loud  we  raise, 

We  lift  not  up  our  heart. 

We,  by  a  holy  life  alone, 

Our  Saviour's  laws  fulfil ; 
By  those  His  glory  is  best  shown 

Who  best  perform  His  will. 

May  we  to  all  His  words  attend 

With  humble,  pious  care ; 
Then  shall  our  praise  to  heaven  ascend, 

And  find  acceptance  there." 

We  do  not  suppose  that  the  contents  of  these  Christmas  broad- 
sheets are  supplied  by  the  same  persons  who  write  the  murder- 
ballads,  or  the  attacks  on  crinoline.  They  may  be  borrowed 
from  well  known  hymn  books  for  anything  we  know.  But  if 
they  are  borrowed,  we  must  still  think  it  much  to  the  credit  of 
the  selectors,  that,  where  they  might  have  found  so  much  that  is 
objectionable  and  offensive,  they  should  have  chosen  as  they 
have  done.  We  only  hope  that  their  successors,  whoever  they 
may  be  who  will  become  the  caterers  for  their  audiences,  will  set 
nothing  worse  before  them. 


24S 


THE    HISTORY    OF 


Christmas  broad-sheets  formed  an  important  item  in  the  office 
of  the  "  Catnach  Press,"  as  the  sale  was  enormous,  and  Catnach 
always  looked  forward  for  a  large  return  of  capital,  and  a  "  good 
clearance"  immediately  following  the  spurt  for  Guy  Fawkes' 
speeches,  in  October  of  each  year.  But  although  the  sale  was 
very  large,  it  only  occupies  one  "  short  month."  This  enabled 
them  to  make  Carols  a  stock  job,  so  that  when  trade  in  the 
Ballad,  Sensational,  "  Gallows,"  or  any  other  line  of  business 
was  dull,  they  used  to  fill  up  every  spare  hour  in  the  working  off 
or  colouring  them,  so  as  to  be  ready  to  meet  the  extraordinary 
demand  which  was  sure  to  be  made  at  the  fall  of  tlie  year. 


Like  most  of  the  old  English  customs,  Christmas- carol  singing 
is  fast  dying  out.  Old  peripatetic  stationers  well  remember  the 
rich  harvest  they  once  obtained  at  Christmas  times  by  carol 
selling.  Now  there  are  very  few  who  care  to  invest  more  than 
a  shilling  or  two  at  a  time  on  the  venture ;  whereas  in  times  long 
past,  all  available  capital  was  readily  embarked  in  the  highly- 
coloured  and  plain  sheets  of  the  birth  of  our  Saviour,  with  the 
carol  of  "  Christians  awake,"  or  *'  The  Seven  Good  Joys  of 
Mary : "— 


THE   CATNACH    PRESS. 

"  The  first  good  joy  our  Mary  had, 

It  was  the  joy  of  one, 
To  see  her  own  Son,  Jesus, 

To  suck  at  her  breast-bone. 
To  suck  at  her  breast-bone,  God-man, 

And  blessed  may  He  be. 
Both  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost, 

To  all  eternity." 


249 


Now,  whether  carol  singing  has  degenerated  with  carol  poetry, 
and  consequently  the  sale  of  Christmas  carols  diminished  is  a 
question  we  need  not  enter  upon ;  but  when  we  turn  to  the  fine 
old  carols  of  our  forefathers,  we  cannot  help  regretting  that 
many  of  these  are  buried  in  the  records  of  the  long  past. 

Here  are  a  couple  of  verses  of  one,  said  to  be  the  first  carol 
or  drinking-song  composed  in  England.  The  original  is  in 
Anglo-Norman  French  : — 

2    K 


250  THE   HISTORY    OF 

"  Lordlings,  from  a  distant  home, 
To  seek  old  Christmas  are  we  come, 

Who  loves  our  minstrelsy — 
And  here  unless  report  mis-say, 
The  greybeard  dwells  ;  and  on  this  day 
•    Keeps  yearly  wassail,  ever  gay 
With  festive  mirth  and  glee. 
**•*■}«■  -x-  * 

Lordlings,  it  is  our  host's  command, 
And  Christmas  joins  him  hand  in  hand, 

To  drain  the  brimming  bowl ; 
And  I'll  be  foremost  to  obey, 
Then  pledge  we,  sirs,  and  drink  away. 
For  Christmas  revels  here  to  day, 
And  sways  without  control. 
Now  wassail  to  you  all !  and  merry  may  you  be. 
And  foul  that  wight  befall,  who  drinks  not  health  to  me." 

One  can  well  imagine  the  hearty  feeling  which  would  greet  a 
party  of  minstrels  carolling  out  such  a  song  as  the  above  in 
Christmas  days  of  yore ;  and  then  contrast  the  picture  with  a 
troupe  from  St.  Giles's  or  Whitechapel  bawling  out  "  God  Rest 
you  Merry  Gentlemen  !"  The  very  thought  of  the  contrast 
sends  a  shudder  through  the  whole  human  system ;  and  no 
wonder  the  first  were  received  with  welcome  feasting,  and  the 
latter  driven  "  with  more  kicks  than  half-pence  "  from  the  doors. 

In  an  old  book  of  "  Christmasse  Carolles  newely  emprinted  at 
London,  in  the  fletestrete  at  the  sygne  of  the  Sonne  by  Wynkyn 
de  Worde.  The  yere  of  our  Lorde,  m.d.xxi.  Quarto."  Is  a 
carol  on  "  Bryngyng  in  the  Bore's  Head  "  : — 

"  The  bore's  head  in  hand  bring  I, 
With  garlandes  gay  and  rosemary, 
I  pray  you  all  synge  merely, 
Qui  estis  in  convivio. 


THE   CATNACH    PRESS. 

The  bore's  head,  I  understande 
Is  the  chiefe  servyce  in  this  lande, 
Loke  wherever  it  be  fande, 
Serviie  cum  Contico, 

Be  gladde,  lordes,  both  more  and  lasse, 
For  this  hath  ordayned  our  stewarde, 

To  chere  you  all  this  Christmasse 
The  bore's  head  with  mustarde.* 


251 


2    K  2 


252 


THE   HISTORY  OF 


With  certain  alterations,  this  carol  is  still,  or  at  least  was  very 
recently,  retained  at  Queen's  College,  Oxford,  and  sung  to  a 
cathedral  chant  of  the  psalms. 

It  would  occupy  too  much  space  to  search  into  the  origin  of 
Christmas  carols.  They  are  doubtless  coeval  with  the  original 
celebrations  of  Christmas,  first  as  a  strictly  Romish  sacred 
ceremony,  and  afterwards  as  one  of  joyous  festivity. 


THE   CATNACH    PRESS.  253 

This  *^  Moral-Sheet  "entitled  "THE  STAGES  OF  LIFE: 
or,  The  various  Ages  and  Degrees  of  Human  Life  explained  by 
these  Twelve  different  Stages,  from  our  Birth  to  our  Graves," 
had  a  great  sale. 


INFANCY 

To  10  Years  old. 

"  T  T  IS  vain  delusive  thoughts  are  fiU'd 
1  X      With'vain  delusive  joys — 
The  empty  bubble  of  a  dream. 
Which  waking  change  to  toys," 

From  10  to  20   Years  old. 
**  T_T  IS  heart  is  now  puff'd  up, 
I   1      He  scorns  the  tutor's  hand; 
He  hates  to  meet  the  least  control 
And  glories  to  command. 'J 

From  20  to  30   Years  old.^ 
"T^HERE's  naught  here  that  can  withstand 
X       The  rage  of  his  desire, 
His  wanton  flames  are  now  blown  up, 
His  mind  is  all  on  fire." 


254  THE   HISTORY   OF 

From  30  to  40  Years  old. 

"  r     OOK  forward  and  repent 

Jl ^    Of  all  thy  errors  past, 

That  so  thereby  thou  may'st  attain 
True  happiness  at  last." 

From  40  to  50  Years  old. 

"AT  fifty  years  he  is 
x\,    Like  the  declining  sun, 
For  now  his  better  half  of  life, 
Man  seemeth  to  have  run." 

From  50  to  60   Years  old. 

"  T  T  IS  wasted  taper  now 
X   1      Begins  to  lose  its  light, 
His  sparkling  flames  doth  plainly  show 
*Tis  growing  towards  night." 

From  60  to  70  Years  old. 
«  rjERPLEX'D  with  slavish  fear 
l7      And  unavailing  woe, 
He  travels  on  life's  rugged  way 
With  locks  as  white  as  snow." 

From  70  to  80   Years  old. 

"  T  NFIRMITY  is  great,  ^ 
X      At  this  advanced  age, 
And  ceaseless  grief  and  weakness  leagued, 
Now  vent  their  bitter  rage." 

From  8a  to  90   Years  old, 

"  T     IFE'S  *  Vital  Spark'— the  soul, 

J ^     Is  hovering  on  the  verge 

Of  an  eternal  world  above. 
And  waiting  to  emerge." 


THE   CATNACH   PRESS. 


255 


From  90  to  100  Years  old, 

^''T^HE  sun  is  sinking  fast 

X       Behind  the  clouds  of  earth, 

Oh  may  it  shine  with  brigher  beams, 

Where  light  received  her  birth." 


PRINTED  BY 

J.  CATNACH, 

#*»2  ♦** 

Monmouth- Court f  7  Dials. 
LONDON. 


256  THE    HISTORY   OF 

Catnach  was  now  at  the  height  of  his  fame  as  a  printer  of 
ballads,  Christmas-pieces,  carols,  lotteries,  execution  papers, 
dying  speeches,  catchpennies,  primers  and  battledores,  and  his 
stock  of  type  and  woodcuts  had  very  considerably  increased  to 
meet  his  business  demands.  And  it  may  be  said  that  he  was 
the  very  Napoleon  of  buyers  at  sales  by  auction  of  "printers' 
stock."  On  one  occasion,  when  lot  after  lot  was  being  knocked 
down  to  him,  one  of  the  "  Littlejohn  crew "  of  "  knock-out- 
men"  of  the  period,  observed  to  the  auctioneer,  "  Why,  sir,  Mr. 
Catnach  is  buying  up  all  the  lots."  "Yes,"  replied  the 
auctioneer,  "  And  what's  more,  Mr.  Catnach  will  pay  for  them 
and  clear  away  all  his  lots  in  the  morning ; "  then  adding  some- 
what pointedly,  "  which  is  a  thing  I  can't  say  of  all  parties  who 
attend  my  sales." 

But  although  we  are  informed,  viva  voce  of  a  contemporary, 
that  Jemmy  Catnach  was  so  large  a  buyer  at  sales  by  auction  of 
"  printers'  stock,"  we  may,  with  some  degree  of  safety,  come  to 
the  conclusion  that  he  could  have  only  bought  such  lots  that 
would  be  considered  by  other  master  printers  as  worthless,  and 
that  it  was  the  apparent  cheapness  that  would  be  the  incentive 
for  his  buying  up  all  the  worn-out  and  battered  letter,  for  Jemmy 
was  a  man  who  hated  "  innowations "  as  he  used  to  call 
improvements,  and  he,  therefore,  had  a  great  horror  in  laying 
out  his  money  in  new  and  improved  manufactured  type,  because, 
as  he  observed,  he  kept  so  many  standing  forms,  and  when 
certain  sorts  ran  short  he  was  not  particular,  and  would  tell  the 
boys  to  use  anything  which  would  make  a  good  shift.  For 
instance,  he  never  considered  a  compositor  could  be  aground  for 
a  lowercase  "  1 "  while  he  had  a  figure  "  1 "  or  a  cap  "  I "  to  fall 
back  upon  j  by  the  same  rule,  the  cap.   "  O  "  and  figure  "  0  " 


THE   CATNACH    PRESS.  457 

were  synonymous  with  "Jemmy;"  the  lowercase  "p,"  "b,"  "d," 
and  "  q,"  would  all  do  duty  for  each  other  in  turn^  and  if  they 
could  not  always  find  Roman  letters  to  finish  a  word  with,  why 
the  compositor  knew  very  well  that  the  "  reader  "  would  not 
mark  out  Ita/fV,  nor  wrong  founts. 

From  a  small  beginner  in  the  world,  Catnach  was  soon  able 
to  see  his  way  clear  to  amass  a  fortune.  He  had  now  established 
his  reputation  as  a  man  of  enterprise,  and  he  was  very  sensitive 
to  maintain  a  sort  of  shabby-genteel  appearance.  It  was 
amusing,  especially  when  over  his  glass,  to  hear  him  describe 
the  effect  the  "  awfuls  "  had  on  the  public.  The  proprietor  of 
any  of  our  leading  journals  could  not  have  felt  prouder  than  did 
Catnach,  as  he  saw  drafted  from  his  press  the  many  thousands 
of  varied  productions. 

We  will  now  briefly  allude  to  the  wood-blocks  which  Catnach 
had  in  his  possession,  and  which  served  for  the  purpose  of 
illustrating  during  the  time  that  he  had  been  in  business.  He 
had  a  large  collection,  such  as  they  were ;  but  as  works  of  art 
they  had  little  or  no  pretension,  being,  upon  the  whole,  of  the 
oddest  and  most  ludicrous  character.  Those  that  were  intended 
for  the  small  books  were  very  quaint  —as  we  have  shown  by  the 
fac-similed  specimens  we  have  given— whilst  the  larger  portion, 
which  were  chiefly  intended  for  the  "  awfuls,"  were  grotesque  and 
hideous  in  their  design  and  execution.  No  more  ghastly  sight 
could  be  imagined  than  one  of  Jemmy's  embellishments  of  an 
execution.  It  would  appear  that  for  the  last  discharge  of  the 
law  he  had  a  large  collection  of  blocks  which  would  suit  any 
number  of  victims  who  were  about  to  undergo  the  dread  penalty. 
It  mattered  litde  how  many  Jack  Ketch  was  going  to  operate 
upon,  wood-blocks  to  the  exact  number  were  always  adopted,  in 

2    L 


258  THE   HISTORY   OF 

this  particular  the  great  "  Dying  Speech  Merchant "  would  seem 
to  have  thought  that  his  honour  and  reputation  were  at  stake,  for 
he  had  his  network  so  formed  as  to  be  able  to  secure  every  in- 
formation of  news  that  was  passing  between  the  friends  of  the 
culprits  and  the  prerogative  of  the  Crown.  But  we  are  imformed 
that  upon  one  occasion  he  was  nearly  entrapped.  Three  victims 
were  upon  the  eve  of  being  executed,  and  in  those  days — and  in 
later  times — it  was  not  an  uncommon  thing  to  see  the  confession 
and  dying  speech  printed  one  or  two  days  previous  to  the  event. 
This  we  are  told  by  those  in  the  trade  was  almost  necessary,  in 
order  that  the  sheets  might  be  ready  for  the  provinces  almost  as 
soon  as  the  sentence  of  the  law  had  been  carried  out.  It  so 
happened  that  on  the  night  previous  to  an  execution,  one  of  the 
culprits  was  reprieved.  It  was  solely  by  a  piece  of  good  luck 
that  Catnach  heard  of  it.  Several  sheets  had  been  struck  off; 
and  Jemmy  was  often  chaffed  about  hanging  three  men  instead 
of  two ;  but  our  informant  assures  us  that  the  error  was  corrected 
before  any  of  the  impressions  were  dispatched  from  the  office. 
Had  they  gone  before  the  public  in  their  original  state,  the  locus 
standi  of  the  great  publisher  in  Monmouth  Court  would  have 
been  greatly  imperilled.  To  those  who  are  fond  of  the  fine  arts, 
in  usum  vulgi^  Catnach's  embellishments  will  afford  a  fund  of 
amusement.  Amongst  the  lot  were  several  well  known  places, 
the  scenes  of  horrible  and  awful  crimes,  engravings  of  debauchery 
and  ill-fame,  together  with  an  endless  number  of  different  kinds, 
suitable  at  the  shortest  possible  notice,  to  illustrate  every  con- 
ceivable and  inconceivable  subject. 

The  Seven  Dials  in  general,  and  "The  Catnach  Press**  in 
particular,  had  no  dread  of  copyright  law — the  principal  Librarian 
of  the  British  Museum,  Stationers',  or  any  other  Hall  in  those 


I 


THE  CATNACH   PRESS.  259 

days — and  as  wood  engravings  were  not  to  be  had  then  so 
quickly  or  cheaply  as  now-a-days,  Jemmy  used  at  times  to  be  his 
own  engraver,  and  while  the  compositors  were  setting  up  the 
types,  he  would  carve  out  the  illustration  on  the  back  of  an  old 
pewter  music  plate,  and  by  nailing  it  onto  a  piece  of  wood  make 
it  into  an  improvised  stereo-plate  off-hand,  for  he  was  very  handy 
at  this  sort  of  work,  at  which  also  his  sister,  with  his  instruction, 
could  assist  j  so  they  soon  managed  to  rough  out  a  figure  or  two, 
and  when  things  were  dull  and  slack  they  generally  got  one  or 
two  subjects  ready  in  stock,  such  as  a  highwayman  with  crape 
over  his  face,  shooting  a  traveller,  who  is  falling  from  his  horse 
near  a  wide-spreading  old  elm  tree,  through  which  the  moon 
was  to  be  seen  peeping;  not  forgetting  to  put  the  highwayman 
in  top  boots  and  making  him  a  regular  dandy.  This  was  some- 
thing after  the  plan  of  the  artists  of  the  cheap  illustrated  papers 
of  the  present  day,  who  generally  anticipate  events  sometime 
beforehand  to  be  ready  with  their  blocks.  As  a  proof  of  this, 
the  editor  of  the  "London,  Provincial,  and  Colonial  Press 
News,"  says  "  I  happened  to  call  one  day  on  an  artist  for  the 
*  Illustrated  Press,'  and  found  him  busily  engaged  in  sketching 
a  funeral  procession  with  some  twenty  coffins  borne  on  the 
shoulders  of  men  who  were  winding  their  way  through  an 
immense  crowd.  Upon  inquiry,  I  was  told  that  it  was  intended 
for  the  next  week's  issue,  and  was  to  represent  the  the  funeral  of 
the  victims  of  the  late  dreadful  colliery  explosion,  for  although 
the  inquest  was  only  then  sitting,  and  all  the  bodies  had  not  yet 
been  found,  there  was  sure  to  be  a  funeral  of  that  kind  when  it 
was  all  over,  and  as  they  did  not  know  how  many  bodies  were 
to  be  buried  at  one  time,  it  was  very  cleverly  arranged  to 
commence  the  procession  from  the  corner  of  the  blocks  and  so 

2  L  2 


26o  THE   HISTORY  OF 

leave  it  to  the  imagination  as  to  how  many  more  coffins  were 
coming  in  the  rear ;  something  after  the  plan  of  a  small  country 
theatre,  when  representing  Richard  the  Third,  and  in  the  battle 
scene,  after  the  first  two  or  three  of  the  army  had  made  their 
appearance,  to  cry  *  halt !'  very  loudly  to  all  those  behind  who 
were  not  seen,  and  leave  the  spectators  to  guess  how  many 
hundreds  their  were  to  come. 

For  the  illustrating  of  catchpennies,  broadsides,  and  street- 
literature  in  general,  particular  kinds  of  wood-cuts  were  required. 
In  most  cases  one  block  was  called  upon  to  perform  many  parts ; 
and  the  majority  of  metropolitan  printers,  who  went  in  for  this 
work,  had  only  a  very  limited  number  of  them.  Very  often  the 
same  cuts  were  repeated  over  and  over  again,  and  made  to  change 
sides  as  one  another,  and  that  simply  to  make  a  little  variation 
from  a  ballad  or  broadside  that  had  been  printed  at  the  same 
office  on  the  day,  week,  or  month  previous.  It  mattered  little 
what  the  subject  was,  it  required  some  adornment,  in  the  shape 
of  illustration,  to  give  effect  to  it.  The  catchpennies,  especially 
those  connected  with  the  awful,  were  in  general  very  rough 
productions.  A  lover  strangling  his  sweetheart  with  a  long 
piece  of  rope.  A  heartless  woman  murdering  an  innocent  man. 
Vice  punished  and  virtue  rewarded,  and  similar  subjects,  were 
always  handled  in  such  a  manner  as  to  create  a  degree  of  excite- 
ment, sympathy,  and  alarm.  The  broadsides,  generally  adorned 
with  some  rough  outline  of  the  royal  arms  of  England,  a  crowned 
king  or  queen,  as  the  subject  might  be,  received  their  full  share 
of  consideration  at  the  hands  of  the  artist.  Scions  of  royal 
blood,  and  those  connected  with  the  court,  were  often  painted 
in  colours  glaring  and  attractive,  whilst  the  matter  set  forth  in  the 
letterpress  was  not  always  the  most  flattering  or  encouraging. 


THE  CATNACH  PRESS.  26 1 

CATCH-PENNY  : — An)'  temporary  contrivance  to  obtain  money  from 
the  public;  penny  shows,  or  cheap  exibitions.  Also  descriptions  of 
murders,  fires,  and  terrible  accidents, r&c,  which  have  never  taken  place. 

Hotton's :  Slang  Dictionary, 


OttCl   %    I 


An  Account 

OF   THE 

DREADFUL   APPARITION 

That  appeared  last  night  to  Henry in  this  street,    ot 

Mary ,  the  shopkeeper's  daughter  round  the  comer,  in  a 

shroud,  all  covered  in  white. 

The  castle  clock  struck  one — the  night  was  dark,  drear,  and 
tempestuous. — Henry  sat  in  an  antique  chamber  of  it,  over  a  wood 
fire,  which  in  the  stupor  of  contemplation,  he  had  suffered  to 
decrease  into  a  few  lifeless  embers ;  on  the  table  by  him  lay  the 
portrait  of  Mary — the  features  of  which  were  not  very  perfectly 
disclosed  by  a  taper,  that  just  glimmered  in  the  socket.  He 
took  up  the  portrait,  however,  and  gazing  intensely  upon  it,  till 
the  taper,  suddenly  burning  brighter,  discovered  to  him  a 
phenomenon  he  was  not  less  terrified  than  surprised  at. — The 
eyes  of  the  portrait  moved ; — the  features  from  an  angelic  smile, 
changed  to  a  look  of  solemn  sadness ;  a  tear  stole  down  each 
cheek,  and  the  bosom  palpitated  as  with  sighing. 

Again  the  clock  struck  one  ! — it  had  struck  the  same  hour  but 
ten  minutes  before. — Henry  heard  the  castle  gate  grate  on  its 
hinges — it  slammed  too — the  clock  struck  one  again — and  a 
deadly  groan  echoed  through  the  castle.  Henry  was  not  subject 
to  superstitious  fears — neither  was  he  a  coward ; — yet  a  hero  of 
romance  might  have  been  justified  in  a  case  like  this,  should  he 


262 


THE  HISTORY  OF 


have  betrayed  fear. — Henry's  heart  sunk  within  him — his  knees 
sinote  together,  and  upon  the  chamber  door  bein^  opened,  and 


THE  CATNACH   PRESS.  263 

his  name  uttered  in  a  hollow  voice,  he  dropped  the  portrait  to 
the  floor ;  and  sat,  as  if  rivetted  to  the  chair,  without  daring  to 
lift  up  his  eyes.  At  length,  however,  as  silence  again  prevailed, 
he  ventured  for  a  moment  to  raise  his  eyes,  when — my  blood 
freezes  as  I  relate  it — before  him  stood  the  figure  of  Mary  in 
a  shroud — her  beamless  eyes  fixed  upon  him  with  a  vacant 
stare;  and  her  bared  bosom  exposing  a  most  deadly  gash. 
"  Henry  ! — Henry ! ! — Henry  ! ! !"  she  repeated  in  a  hollow  tone 
— "  Henry !  I  come  for  thee !  thou  hast  often  said  that  death 
with  me  was  preferable  to  life  without  me;  come  then,  and 
enjoy  with  me  all  the  ecstacies  of  love  these  ghastly  features, 
added  to  the  contemplation  of  a  charnel-house,  can  inspire;" 
then  grasping  his  hand  with  her  icy  fingers,  he  swooned ;  and 
instantly  found  himself— stretched  on  the  hearth  of  his  master's 
kitchen ;  a  romance  in  his  hand,  and  the  house  dog  by  his  side, 
whose  cold  nose  touching  his  hand,  had  awaked  him. 


FRIENDS 

It  is  with  feelings  of  the  deepest  regret  that  we  are  at  present 
compelled,  for  the  support  of  our  friends  and  families,  to  offer  this  simple, 
but  true  tale  to  your  notice,  trusting,  at  the  same  time,  that  you  will  be 
pleased  to  purchase  this  paper,  it  being  the  only  means  at  present  to  support 
the  tender  thread  of  our  existence,  and  keep  us  and  our  families  from  utter 
starvation  which  at  present  surrounds  us. 


Price  One  Penny. 
Printed  for  Author  and  Vendor. 


THK    HISTORY    OF 

I      ''11 


Cruel  and  Inhuman  Murder, 
Last  Night. 


THE  CATNACH   PRESS. 


265 


THE    SCARBOROUGH    TRAGEDY. 

Giving  an  Account  how  Susan  Forster,  a  Farmer's  Daughter, 
near  Scarborough,  was  seduced  by  Mr.  Robert  Sanders,  a  Naval 
Officer,  under  promise  of  Marriage. — How  she  became  Pregnant, 
and  the  wicked  hardened  and  cruel  Wretch  appointed  her  to 
meet  him  at  a  well-known,  retired  spot,  which  she  unhappily  did, 
and  was  basely  Murdered  by  him,  and  buried  under  a  Tree — 
and  of  the  wonderful  manner  in  which  this  base  Murder  was 
brought  to  light,  and  he  committed  to  Gaol. 


Young  virgins  fair  of  beauty  bright, 
And  you  that  are  of  Cupid's  fold, 

Unto  my  tragedy  give  ear, 
For  it's  as  true  as  e'er  was  told. 


2  M 


266  THE  HISTORY  OF 

In  Yorkshire,  liv'd  a  virgin  fair, 
A  farmer's  only  daughter  dear. 

And  a  young  sea-captain  did  her  ensnare, 
Whose  station  was  her  father  near. 

Susannah  was  this  maiden's  name, 

The  flower  of  all  that  country. 
This  officer  a  courting  came, 

Begging  that  she  his  love  would  be. 
'Her  youthful  heart  to  love  inclin'd 

Young  Cupid  bent  his  golden  bow, 
And  left  his  fatal  dart  behind. 

Which  prov'd  Susannah's  overthrow. 

Ofttimes  at  evening  she  would  repair. 

Close  to  the  borders  of  the  sea, 
Her  treach'rous  love  would  meet  her  there. 

The  time  it  passed  most  pleasantly. 
And  while  they  walked  the  sea-banks  over, 

To  mark  the  flowing  of  the  tide. 
He  said  he'd  be  her  constant  lover, 

And  vow'd  that  she  should  be  his  bride. 


He  did  confess — they  dug  the  ground  while  hundreds  came  to  view, 
And  here  the  murder' d  corpse  they  found,  of  her  who  lov'd  so  true 
In  irons  now  in  Prison  strong  lamenting  he  does  lie  ; 
And,  by  the  laws  condemn'd  ere  long,  most  justly  he  will  die. 


J.  CATNACH,  Printer,  2,  Monmouth -court,  7  Dials. 


THE   CATNACH   PRESS. 


267 


HORRID  MURDER, 
Committed  by  a  Young  Man  on  a  Young  Woman. 

George  Caddell  became  acquainted  with  Miss  Price  and  a 
degree  of  intimacy  subsisted  between  them,  and  Miss  Price, 
degraded  as  she  was  by  the  unfortunate  step  she  had  taken, 
still  thought  herself  an  equal  match  for  one  of  Mr.  Caddell  s 
rank  of  life.  As  pregnancy  was  shortly  the  result  of  their 
intimacy,  she  repeatedly  urged  him  to  marry  her,  but  he  resisted 
her  importunities  for  a  considerable  time.  At  length  she  heard 
of  his'paying  addresses  to  Miss  Dean,  and  threatened  in  case 


2    M  2 


268  THE   HISTORY   OF 

of  his  non-compliance,  to  put  an  end  to  all  his  prospects  with 
that  young  lady,  by  discovering  everything  that  had  passed 
between  them.  Hereupon  he  formed  a  horrid  resolution  of 
murdering  her,  for  he  could  neither  bear  the  thought  of  forfeiting 
the  esteem  of  a  woman  whom  he  loved,  nor  of  marrying  one  who 
had  been  as  condescending  to  another  as  to  himself.  So  he 
called  on  Miss  Price  on  a  Saturday  and  requested  her  to  walk 
with  him  in  the  fields  on  the  following  day,  in  order  to  arrange 
a  plan  for  their  intended  marriage.  Miss  Price  met  him  at  the 
time  appointed,  on  the  road  leading  to  Burton,  at  a  house 
known  by  the  name  of  the  ''  Nag's  Head."  Having  accompanied 
her  supposed  lover  into  the  fields,  and  walked  about  till  towards 
evening,  they  sat  down  under  a  hedge,  where  after  a  little  con- 
versation, Caddell  suddenly  pulled  out  a  knife  and  cut  her 
throat,  and  made  his  escape,  but  not  before  he  had  waited  till 
she  was  dead.  In  the  distraction  of  his  mind  he  left  behind 
him  the  knife  with  which  he  perpetrated  the  deed,  and  his  Case 
of  Instruments.  On  the  following  morning,  Miss  Price  being 
found  murdered  in  the  field,  great  numbers  went  to  take  a  view 
of  her  body,  among  whom  was  the  woman  of  the  house  where 
she  lodged,  who  recollected  that  she  said  she  was  going  to  walk 
with  Mr.  Caddell,  on  which  the  instruments  were  examined  and 
sworn  to  have  belonged  to  him.  He  was  accordingly  taken  into 
custody. 


J.  CATNACH,  Printer,  Monmouth  Court. 


THE   CATNACH   PRESS. 


The  Secrets  Revealed,! 

OR  THEf 

Fashionable  Life  of  Lord  &•  Lady  **-x-*-Jt* 


Dreadful  Murder  by  a  Soldier, 
Yesterday  Morning. 


270 


THE   HISTORY   OF 


The  LIVERPOOL  TRAGEDY. 


Showing  how  a  Father  and  Mother 
barbarously  Murdered  their  own  Son. 


:o:- 


A  few  days  ago  a  sea-faring  man,  who  had  just  returned  to 
England  after  an  absence  of  thirty  years  in  the  East  Indies, 
called  at  a  lodging-house,  in  Liverpool,  for  sailors,  and  asked 
for  supper  and  a  bed ;  the  landlord  and  landlady  were  elderly 
people,  and  apparently  poor.  The  young  man  entered  into 
conversation  with  them,  invited  them  to  partake  of  his  cheer, 
asked  them  many  questions  about  themselves  and  their  family, 
and  particularly  of  a  son  who  had  gone  to  sea  when  a  boy,  and 


THE  CATNACH   PRESS.  27 1 

whom  they  had  long  given  over  as  dead.  At  night  the  landlady 
shewed  him  to  his  room,  and  when  she  was  leaving  him  he  put  a 
large  purse  of  gold  into  her  hand,  and  desired  her  to  take  care  oi 
it  till  the  morning,  pressed  her  affectionately  by  the  hand,  and 
bade  her  good  night.  She  returned  to  her  husband  and  shewed 
the  accursed  gold  :  for  its  sake  they  mutually  agreed  to  murder 
the  traveller  in  his  sleep. 

In  the  dead  of  the  night,  when  all  was  still,  the  old  couple 
silently  creeped  into  the  bed  room  of  their  sleeping  guest,  all 
was  quiet :  the  landlady  approached  the  bedside,  and  then  cut 
his  throat,  severed  his  head  from  his  body;  the  old  man,  upwards 
of  seventy  years  of  age,  holding  the  candle.  They  put  a  washing- 
tub  under  the  bed  to  catch  his  blood,  and  then  ransacking  the 
boxes  of  the  murdered  man  they  found  more  gold,  and  many 
handsome  and  costly  articles,  the  produce  of  the  East  Indies, 
together,  with  what  proved  afterwards,  to  be  a  marriage  cer- 
tificate. 

In  the  morning  early,  came  a  handsome  and  elegantly  dressed 
lady,  and  asked,  in  a  joyous  tone,  for  the  traveller  who  arrived 
the  night  before.  The  old  people  seemed  greatly  confused,  but 
said  he  had  risen  early  and  gone  away.  "Impossible!"  said 
the  lady,  and  bid  them  go  to  his  bed-room  and  seek  him, 
adding,  "  you  will  be  sure  to  know  him  as  he  has  a  mole  on  his 
left  arm  in  the  shape  of  a  strawberry.  Besides,  'tis  your  long 
lost  son  who  has  just  returned  from  the  East  Indies,  and  I  am 
his  wife,  and  the  daughter  of  a  rich  planter  long  settled  and  very 
wealthy.  Your  son  has  come  to  make  you  both  happy  in  the 
evening  of  your  days,  and  he  resolved  to  lodge  with  you  one 
night  as  a  stranger,  that  he  might  see  you  unknown,  and  judge 
of  your  conduct  to  wayfaring  mariners." 


272 

The  old  couple  went  up  stairs  to  examine  the  corpse,  and 
they  found  the  strawberry  mark  on  its  arm,  and  they  then  knew 
that  they  had  murdered  their  own  son,  they  were  seized  with 
horror,  and  each  taking  a  loaded  pistol  blew  out  each  other's 
brains. 

Printed  by  J.  Catnach.— Sokl  by  Marshall,  Bristol. 

Just  Published. — A  Variety  of  Children's  Books,  Battledores,  Lotteries,  and 
a  quantity  of  Popular  Songs  set  to  Music.     Cards,  &c.,  Printed  cheap. 


THE  LIFE, 


TRIAL,  CHARACTER,  CONFESSION,  BEHAVIOUR, 

AND 

EXECUTION 

OF 

JAMES     WARD, 

Aged  2$,  who  was  hung  in  the  front  of  the  Gaol, 

For  the  wilful  Murder  he  committed  on  the 

Body  of  his  own  Wife. 


To  which  is  added  a  Copy  of  Affectionate  Verses 

which  he  composed  in  the  Condemned  Cell 

The  night  before  his 

EXECUTION. 

PRINTED  AT  LONDON. 

PRICE    ONE    PENNY. 


3  N 


274 


THE   HISTORY    OF 


The  Arrest  of  the  Prisoner. 

For  murder,  though  it  have  no  tongue,  will  speak  with  most  miraculous 
organ." 


The  prisoner  was  arrested  while  drinking  with  his  companions 
in  a  public-house,  and  after  two  Magistrates  had  heard  the 
evidence  he  was  fully  committed  to  the  Assizes  to  be  tried  before 
my  Lord  Judge  and  a  British  Jury,  at  the  County  Hall. 


THE   CATNACH   PRESS. 


'75 


THE    TRIAL! 


"  Whoso  diggeth  a  pit  shall  fall  therem." 


At  an  early  hour  on  the  morning  of  the  trial,  the  Court  was 
crowded  to  excess,  the  Judge  taking  his  seat  at  nine  o'clock. 
The  Prisoner  on  b^ing  placed  at  the  bar,  pleaded  "  Not  Guilty," 
in  a  firm  tone  of  voice.  The  Trial  lasted  many  hours,  when, 
having  been  found  *  GUILTY.*  the  learned  Judge  addressed  the 
prisoner  as  follows  : — 

"  Prisoner,  you  have  been  found  guilty  of  a  most  cold-blooded  Murder,  a 
more  deliberate  murder  I  never  heard  of.  You  and  your  wife  had  been  to  a 
neighbouring  town,  and  were  returning  home,  when  you  did  it.  She  was 
found  in  a  ditch.  I  cannot  hold  out  the  slightest  hope  of  mercy  towards  you 
in  this  case."  During  this  address  the  whole  court  was  melted  into  tears. 
His  Lordship  then  put  on  the  black  cap  and  passed  the  sentence  as  usual, 
holding  out  no  hope  of  mercy  to  the  prisoner. 


The  County  Gaol. 


2    N  2 


276 


THE   HISTORY   OF 


The  Home  of  the  Good  Man. 
"  Sundry  blessings  hang  about  his  Throne,  that  speak  hini  full  of  Grace." 

Letter  Written  by  the  Prisoner  after  his  Condemnation. 
Dear  Sister,  Condemned  Cell. 

When  you  receive  this  you  will  see  that  I  am  condemned 
to  die;  my  Father  and  Mother  are  coming  to  take  their  last 
farewell,  and  I  should  very  much  liked  to  have  seen  you,  but 
knowing  that  you  are  on  the  eve  6f  bringing  into  the  world 
another  to  your  family,  I  beg  that  you  will  refrain  from  coming  ; 
if  that  you  do  serious  may  be  the  consequences,  therefore,  dear 
Sister,  do  not  attempt  to  come.  I  hope  that  no  one  will  upbraid 
you  for  what  I  have  done ;  So  God  bless  you  and  yours ; 
farewell !  dear  Sister,  for  ever. 

J.  WARD. 


I 


THE   CATNACH   PRESS. 


277 


THE  EXECUTION. 
:o: 


"A  threefold  cord  is  not  quickly  broken." 

The  Execution  of  the  above  prisoner  took  place  early  this 
morning  at  eight  o'clock,  the  people  flocking  to  the  scene  at  an 
early  hour.  As  the  period  of  the  wretched  man's  departure 
drew  near,  the  chaplain  became  anxious  to  obtain  from  him  a 
confession  of  the  justice  of  his  sentence.  He  acknowledged  the 
justice  of  his  sentence,  and  said  he  was  not  fit  to  live,  and  that 
he  was  afraid  to  die,  but  he  prayed  to  the  Lord  for  forgiveness, 
and  hoped  through  the  merits  of  his  Saviour  that  his  prayer 
would  be  heard.  Having  received  the  sacrament,  the  executioner 
was  not  long  in  performing  his  office.  The  solemn  procession 
moved  towards  the  place  of  Execution,  the  chaplain  repeating 
the  confession  words,  *'  In  the  midst  of  life  we  are  in  death." 
Upon  ascending  the  platform  he  appeared  to  tiremble  very  much. 
The  cap  being  drawn  over  his  eyes  and  the  signal  given,  the 
wretched  man  was  launched  into  eternity.  He  died  almost 
without  a  struggle.  After  the  body  had  hanged  the  usual  time 
it  was  cut  dawn  and  buried  according  to  the  sentence  in  the  gaol. 


278 


THE    HISTORY   OF 


The  Home  of  the  Bad  Man. 


One  Sin  doth  another  provoke." 


Copy  of  Verses. 

Come  all  you  feeling  hearted  christians,  wherever  you  may  be, 

Attention  give  to  these  few  lines,  and  listen  unto  me ; 

Its  of  this  cruel  murder,  to  you  I  will  unfold, 

The  bare  recital  of  the  same  will  make  your  blood  run  cold. 


THE   CATNACH    PRESS.  279 

Confined  within  a  lonely  cell,  with  sorrow  I  am  opprest, 
The  very  thought  of  what  I've  done,  deprives  me  of  rest ; 
Within  this  dark  and  gloomy  cell  in  the  County  Gaol  I  lie, 
For  murder  of  my  dear  wife  I  am  condemned  to  die. 

For  four  long  years  I'd  married  been,  I  always  lov'd  her  well, 
Till  at  length  I  was  overlooked,  oh  shame  for  me  to  tell ; 
By  Satan  sure  I  was  beguiled,  he  led  me  quite  astray, 
Unto  another  I  gave  way  on  that  sad  unlucky  day. 

I  well  deserve  my  wretched  fate,  no  one  can  pity  me. 
To  think  that  I  in  cold  blood  could  take  the  life  away ; 
I  took  a  stake  out  of  the  hedge  and  hit  on  the  head, 
My  cruel  blows  I  did  repeat  until  she  were  dead. 

I  dragged  the  body  from  the  stile  to  a  ditch  running  by, 

I  quite  forgot  there's  one  above  with  an  all-seeing  eye, 

Who  always  brings  such  deeds  to  light,  as  you  so  plainly  see, 

I  questioned  was  about  it  and  took  immediately. 

The  body's  found,  the  inquest  held,  to  prison  I  was  sent. 
With  shame  I  do  confess  my  sin,  with  grief  I  do  repent ; 
And  when  my  trial  did  come  on,  I  was  condemned  to  die. 
An  awful  death  in  public  scorn,  upon  the  gallows  high. 

While  in  my  lonely  cell  I  lie,  the  time  draws  on  apace, 
The  dreadful  deeds  that  I  have  done  appear  before  my  face  ; 
While  lying  on  my  dreadful  couch,  those  horrid  visions  rise. 
The  ghastly  form  of  my  dear  wife  appears  before  my  eyes. 

Oh  may  my  end  a  warning  be  now  unto  all  mankind. 
And  think  of  my  unhappy  fate  and  bear  me  in  your  mind ; 
Whether  you  are  rich  or  poor,  young  wives  and  children  love, 
So  God  will  fill  your  fleeting  days  with  blessings  from  above. 


m^^^^^&^^^^(&^^^^^^^-S(S^^ 


THE 

BURNING     SHAME. 

OR 


,."--^^ 'w--">e. 


MORALITY    ALARMED 
IN  THIS  NEIGHBOURHOOD. 

Just  Published 
PRICE    ONE    PENNY. 


m^^i^^^^^^{ 


2    O 


282 


THE    HISTORY   OF 


A  short  time  since,  some  of  the  moral-mending  crew  of 
Parsons,  Magistrates,  Quakers,  Shakers,  Puritans,  Old  Maids, 
and  highly  respectable,  and,  now  retired  from  active  business 
**  Young  Ladies,"  who  now  assume  a  virtue,  though  they  have 
it  not,  and  a  variety  of  other  goodly  persons  ever  ready  to 
compound  for  sins  they  are  inclined  to,  by  exposing  those  they 
have  no  mind  to,  living  not  50  miles  hence,  determined  on 
reforming  doings,  manners,  and  customs  : — 

IN    THIS    TOWN! 


and  a  meeting  in  consequence  took  place  at  "  Rosebud  Cottage  " 

the  residence  of  Miss  Mary  Ann  Lovitt,  when,  as  a  first  step,  it 

was     determined  to  remove  the  facilities  and  accommodation 


THE   CATNACH    PRESS.  283 

afforded  a  certain —  You-know-what  I  crime  very  general  in  this 
neighbourhood  by  hunting  out  of  the  town : — 

A    CERTAIN    LADY    ABBESS!! 

who  keeps  a  very  genteel  house  for  the  accommodation  ot 
"  single  young  men  and  their  wives "  and  one  who  never 
offends,  or  bores  her  patrons  by  asking  for  a  sight  of  their 
*  Marriage  Certificates/ 

At  the  meeting,   the   armchair  was    taken    by    the    Rev. 

John B.A.,   of  this    parish,    Mr.    Churchwarden 

Smith,  and  Mr.  J.  Brown,  the  draper,  supporting  him  on  either 
side;  when  a  variety  of  methods  were  suggested  for  the  removal 
of  the  alledged  social  evil,  one  thought  entreaty  might  best 
answer,  another  was  for  force^  a  third  recommended  the 
Religious  Tract  Society,  while  a  fourth  was  for  the  aid  of  the 

Very  Rev.  Rowland  H 1,  Miss  A.  and  Miss  B.  were  both 

loud  in  their  praise  of  the  Rev.  Jabez  B g,  mention  was 

made  of  the  Society  for  the  Suppression  of  Vice,  at  length  the 
Reverend  Divine  Chairman  was  called  on  for  his  opinion,  when 
he — conscious  of  the  integrity  and  purity  of  his  own  life  and 
experience  \  at  once  pronounced : — 

A    BURNING    SHAME!!! 

as  the  only  effectual  remedy  for  the  ever  increasing  evil.  This 
was  indeed  a  harsTi  measure,  and  some  of  the  worthies  looked 
a  variety  of  colours  on  the  occasion,  but  as  none  had  the  moral 
courage  for  personal  character  sake  to  oppose  the  parson's 
proposition,  it  was  carried  unanamously.  A  board  bearing  on 
it  in  legible  characters : — 

BEWARE   OF    A    BAD    HOUSE!!!! 

was  soon  prepared,  and  with  a  lanthorn  attached,  was  paraded 

2    0  2 


jg^fe^' 


before  the  house  of  the  fair— but  frail  duenna's 
mansion.  It  did  not  remain  long  in  this  position  as 
the  following  letter  from  the  lady  abbess  of  the 
Agapemone  !  soon  had  its  deserved  effect : — 

Gentlemen;—'*  If  the  hoard  and  lanthorne  is 
not  removed  from  the  front  of  my  house  in  one  hour 
from  this  time,  I  will  publish  the  name,  profession^ 
and  address^  of  every  genf/eman— together  with 
that  of  the  !ady  accompaning  him  who  has  visited 
my ''Establishment for  Young  Ladies'"  during  the 
last  six  months.  Some  of  your  worships  know  on 
whom  this  would  fall  heaviest.*' 

Yours  with  thanks  for  past  favours, 

Aunt. 

It  is  almost  needless  to  say  that  the  hoard  and 
lanthorne  were  very  soon  removed,  and,  that,  the 
old,  and  accommodating  lady  is  doing  a  good  business 
again : — 

THUS  CONSCIOUS  DOES  MAKE  COWARDS 
OF  US  ALL. 


1^^  ^^^^^^^1^^ 


wuf's^maBimjimms^t^^im^m^^^^ 


T-5'^ 


THE   FULL,   TRUE 


AND 


PARTICULAR    ACCOUNT 


OF  THE 


EXTRAORDINARY     MARRIAGE 

That  took  place  in  this  town  on  Thursday  last. 

London : 
PRINTED    FOR    THE    VENDORS. 


PRICE   ONE   PENNY. 


286 


THE   HISTORY   OF 


"  Who  would  have  thought  he  had  been  a — 
He  was  such — a  nice  young  man." 

About  a  week  since,  a  dashing  young  blade,  dressed  in  the 
very  height  of  the  prevailing  fashion,  having  long  black  and 
curly  hair,  together  with  a  pair  of  out-and-out  slap-up  whiskers 
and  moustaches,  and  calling  himself  Count  de  Coburgh 
Aingarpatzziwutchz,  and  professing  to  be  a  foreigner  and  a  man 
of  enormous  fortune,  and  one  of  the  haut  ton  /  took  up  his 

lodging  at  the  principal  inn.  The Arms,  in  this  town, 

where  the  swell  foreigner  looking  blade  soon  made  a  great  stir 
among  the  ladies  of  the  place ;  the  old,  the  young,  the  tall,  the 
short,  the  fair,  and  the  dark,  were  all  alike  smitten  over  head 
and  ears  in  love  with  the  distinguished  visitor,  but  none  seemed 
to  make  so  much  impression  upon  his  heart  as  Mary  Jane 
Jemima  S w,  the  youngest  of  the  landlord's  daughters  of 


THE    CATNACH    PRESS.  287 

The Arms  Inn,  of  this  town.     She  is  well  known  in  this 

neighbourhood  to  be  very  handsome,  with  light  brown  hair  all 
in  ringlets,  light  blue  eyes,  a  fine  aquiline  nose,  and  of  a  tall  and 
commanding  figure,  aged  about  sweet  1 7  years  of  age,  and  very 
tender. 

The  foreign  Count !  soon  won  the  affections  of  the  young 
lady,  and  while  she  was  all  cock-a-hoop  at  the  thought  of  having 
such  a  fine  handsome  young  blade  for  a  husband,  all  the  other 
women  of  the  town,  old  and  young,  were  ready  to  tear  out  her 
eyes  and  boil  them  in  their  own  blood  with  womanly  vexation 
and  revenge,  and  spoke  of  the  intended  bridegroom  as  the 
Count  Doii t-know-who  ! 

On  Thiursday  the  bells  of  the  old  parish  church  rang  merrily 
ding  I-dong  !  !-ding  ! ! !  and  the  happy  couple  were  married,  our 
old  and  respected  Rector  officiating;  assisted  by  his  Curate, 

Rev.  Mr. ,  and  all  the  parish  was  gay  from  one  end  to 

the  other. 


A  few  hours  after  the  ceremony  had  taken  place,  whilst 
the  happy  couple  were  feasting  on  all  of  the  very  best 
with  their  friends  and  relations,  a  stranger,  fat  and 
greasy,  and  looking  like  a  master  or  journeyman 
butcher  in  his  Sunday  clothes,  and  about  forty  years  of 
age,  and  black  whiskers,  made  his  appearance,  and 
not  being  acquainted  with  the  occasion  that  brought 
the  party  together,  without  hesitation  exclaimed,  loud 
enough  to  be  heard  by  all  in  the  room,  **  Well,  brother- 
blade,  you  are  a  lucky  fellow !  the  business  about  Sal 
Saundeis;  is  all  settled  to  our  satisfaction,  the  lawyer 
made  a  good  job  of  it  for  you,  poleaxed  the  lot  on  the 
other  side  in  prime  style,  and  skinned  'em  alive,  so  you 
may  now  return  home  to  Whitechapel  and  put  on  your 
blue  apron  and  steel." — The  company  stood  aghast,  the 
bride  fainted,  and  all  was  confusion.  At  length  it  came 
out  that  the  newly-married  man  had  a  wife  and  four 
children  at  home,  and  that  his  visit  to  the  above  town 
was  in  consequence  of  a  woman  swearing  a  child  to  him. 
In  the  midst  of  the  confusion  which  this  discovery 
occasioned,  the  bridegroom  and  his  brother  slaughterman 
from  Whitechapel — which  is  in  London — made  a 
sudden  retreat,  and — have  not  since  been  heard  of. 


*-««^SM^A»^ 


289 


THE     EFFECTS     OF     LOVE. 
SAD   SHOCKING   NEWS! 

CRUEL  SEDUCTION :  Dreadful  Warkikg  to  all  Young 

Women   in  this  Neighbourhood  to  Beware  of 

Young  Men's  Deluding  and  Flattering 

Tongues. 


The  following  melancholy  account  of  her  cruel  seduction  and 
desertion  by  her  base  lover  was  forwarded  to  that  very  worthy 

man  Mr. a  churchwarden,  well-known  and  respected 

by  all  in  this  neighbourhood  by  Miss  S h  W r,  the  night 

before  she  committed  suicide. 

Young  lovers  all  I  pray  draw  near, 
Sad  shocking  news  you  soon  shall  hear, 
And  when  that  you  the  same  are  told, 
It  will  make  your  very  blood  run  cold. 

Miss  S — h  W — Is  my  name, 
T  brought  myself  to  grief  and  shame, 
By  loving  one  that  ne'er  loved  me, 
My  sorrow  now  I  plainly  see. 

Mark  well  the  words  that  will  be  said, 
By  W —  E —  I  was  be  tray 'd, 
By  his  false  tongue  1  was  beguil'd 
At  length  to  him  I  proved  with  child. 

At  rest  with  him  I  ne'er  could  be, 
Until  he  had  his  will  of  me. 

To  his  fond  tales  I  did  give  way,  • 

And  did  from  paths  of  virtue  stray. 

My  grief  is  more  than  I  can  bear, 
I  am  disregarded  every  where, 
Like  a  blooming  flower  I  am  cut  down, 
And  on  me  now  my  love  does  frown. 

2    P 


590  THE  HISTORY  OF 

Oh  !  the  false  oathes  he  has  sworn  to  me, 
That  I  his  lawful  bride  should  be, 
May  I  never  prosper  night,  or  day, 
If  I  deceive  you,  he  would  say. 

But  now  the  day  is  past  and  gone. 
That  he  fix'd  to  be  married  on, 
He  scarcely  speaks  when  we  do  meet, 
And  strives  to  shun  me  in  the  street. 

I  did  propose  on  Sunday  night, 
To  walk  once  more  with  my  heart's  delight. 
On  the  Umber's  banks  where  billows  roar, 
"We  parted  there  to  meet  no  more. 

His  word  was  pledged  unto  me, 
He  never  shall  prosper  nor  happy  be. 
The  ghost  of  me  and  my  infant  dear, 
They  both  shall  haunt  him  every  where. 

William  dear  when  this  you  see, 
Remember  how  you  slighted  me, 
Farewell  vain  world  ;  false  man  adieu, 
I  drown  myself  for  love  of  you. 

As  a  token  that  I  died  for  love, 
There  will  be  seen  a  milk-white  dove, 
Which  over  my  watery  tomb  shall  fly, 
And  there  you'll  find  my  body  lie. 

These  cheeks  of  mine  once  blooming  red, 
Must  now  be  mingled  with  the  dead, 
From  the  deep  waves  to  a  bed  of  clay. 
Where  I  must  sleep  till  the  Judgement  Day. 

A  Joyful  rising  then  I  hope  to  have. 
When  Angels  call  me  from  the  grave 
Receive  my  soul,  O  Lord  most  high. 
For  broken  hearted  I  must  die. 

Grant  me  one  favour  that's  all  I  crave. 
Eight  pretty  maidens  let  me  have, 
Dress'd  all  in  white  a  comely  show. 
To  carry  me  to  the  grave  below. 

Now  all  young  girls  I  hope  on  earth. 
Will  be  warned  by  my  untimely  death, 
Take  care  sweet  maidens  when  you  are  young. 
Of  men's  deluding — flattering  tongue. 

• ~ 

Printed  in  London  for  the  Venders. 


THE   CATNACH    PRESS. 


2gi 


SHOCKING    RAPE 

AND 

DREADFUL    MURDER     OF    TWO    LOVERS. 


Showing  how  John  Hodges,  a  Farmer's  Son, 
Committed  a  Rape  upon  Jane  Williams, 

AND  afterwards   MDRDERED   HER  AND 

HER    LOVER,     WiLLIAM     EdWARDS, 

IN   A   FIELD   NEAR   PaXTON. 


This  is  a  most  revolting  murder.  It  appears  Jane  Williams 
was  keeping  company,  and  was  shortly  to  be  married  to  William 
Edwards,  who  was  in  the  eirployment  of  Fartj^er  Hodges.     For 

2    P    2 


292  THE   HISTORY   OF 

some  time  a  jealousy  existed  in  John  Hodges,  who  made  vile 
proposals  to  the  young  girl,  who  although  of  poor  parents  was 
strictly  virtuous.  The  girl's  father  also  worked  on  Farmer 
Hodges'  estate.  On  Thursday  last  she  was  sent  to  the  farm  to 
obtain  some  things  for  her  mother,  who  was  ill ;  it  was  9  o'clock 
in  the  evening  when  she  set  out,  a  mile  from  the  farm.  Going 
across  the  fields  she  was  met  by  the  farmer's  son,  who  made  vile 
proposals  to  her,  which  she  not  consenting  to,  he  threw  her 
down,  and  accomplished  his  vile  purpose.  In  the  meantime  her 
lover  had  been  to  her  house,  and  finding  slie  was  gone  to  the 
farm,  went  to  meet  her.  He  found  her  in  the  field  crying,  and 
John  Hodges  standing  over  her  with  a  bill-hook,  saying  he  would 
kill  her  if  she  ever  told.  No  one  can  tell  the  feelings  of  the 
lover,  William  Edwards.  He  rushed  forward,  when  Hodges, 
with  the  hook,  cut  the  legs  clean  from  his  body,  and  with  it 
killed  the  poor  girl,  and  then  run  off.  Her  father  finding  she 
did  not  return,  went  to  look  for  her,  when  the  awful  deeds  were 
discovered.  Edwards  was  still  alive,  but  died  shortly  afterwards 
from  loss  of  blood,  after  giving  his  testimony  to  the  magistrates. 
The  farmer's  son  was  apprehended,  and  has  been  examined  and 
committed  to  take  his  trial  at  the  next  assizes. 

Thousands  of  persons  followed  the  unfortunate  lovers  to  the 
^grave,  where  they  were  both  buried  together. 


COPY    OF    VERSES 


Jane  Williams  had  a  lover  true 
And  Edwards  was  his  name, 

Whose  visits  to  her  father's  house, 
Had  welcome  now  became. 


THE  CATNACH  PRESS. 

In  marriage  soon  they  would  be  bound, 

A  loving  man  and  wife, 
But  John  Hodges,  a  farmer's  son 

With  jealousy  was  rife. 

One  night  he  met  her  in  the  fields, 

And  vile  proposals  made ; 
How  can  I  do  this  wicked  thing, 

Young  Jane  then  weeping  said. 

He  quickly  threw  her  on  the  ground, 

He  seized  her  by  surprise, 

And  did  accomplish  his  foul  act 

Despite  her  tears  and  cries. 

Her  lover  passing  by  that  way, 

Discovered  her  in  tears, 
And  when  he  found  what  had  been  done 

He  pulled  the  monster's  ears. 

Young  Hodges  with  the  bill-hook. 
Then  cut  young  Edwards  down  ; 

And  by  one  fatal  blow  he  felled 
Jane  Wilhams  on  the  ground. 

There  side  by  side  the  lovers  lay 

Weltering  in  their  blood  : 
Young  Jane  was  dead,  her  lover  lived, 

Though  ebb'd  away  life's  flood. 

Old  Williams  sought  his  daughter  dear. 

When  awful  to  relate, 
He  found  her  lifeless  body  there. 

Her  lover's  dreadful  fate. 

Now  in  one  grave  they  both  do  lie. 

These  lovers  firm  and  true, 
Who  by  a  cruel  man  were  slain 

Who'll  soon  receive  his  due. 

In  prison  now  he  is  confined. 

To  answer  for  the  crime. 
Two  lovers  that  he  murdered. 

Cut  off  when  in  their  prime. 


293 


294  THE  HISTORY  OF 

A  Funny  DIALOGUE 

BETWEEN  A  ^/^       ^^^^wT         MACKEREL 

FAT  BUTCHER      j/^U^^^^^  ^^^    Nm<port   Mar- 


Butcher. — Well,  Mr.  Mackerel,  pray  let  me  ask  you  how  you  come  to 
show  your  impudent  face  among  those  who  don't  want  to  see  you  or  any  of 
your  crew  ? 

Mackerel. —That  my  company  is  not  agreeable  to  many  such  as  you  I 
very  well  know ;  but  here  I  am,  and  will  keep  my  place  in  spite  of  you. 
Don't  think  to  frighten  me  with  your  lofty  looks,  Mr.  Green.  You  are  an 
enemy  to  the  poor,  I  am  their  true  friend,  and  I  will  be  in  spite  of  you. 

BtJTCHER. — I  will  soon  see  the  end  of  you  and  your  vain  boasting.  What's 
the  poor  to  me  } 

Mackerel.— I  and  thousands  of  my  brethren  are  come  to  town  for  the  sole 
good  of  the  industrious  poor.  We  will  soon  pull  down  your  high  prices,  your 
pride  and  consequence,  and  Melt  your  fat  off  your  overgrown  Carcass.  I  am 
their  sworn  friend,  and  although  you  are  biting  off  your  tongue  with  vexation, 
yet  I  am  determined  they  shall  have  a  cheap  Meal— good,  sweet,  and 
wholesome— put  that  in  your  pipe  and  smoke  it. 

Butcher. — Aye,  aye.  You  are  a  saucy  set,  confound  you  altogether. 
Oddzbobs,  I  wish  the  Devil  had  the  whole  of  your  disagreeable  tribe. 

Mackerel.- I  would  advise  you,  Mr.  Green,  not  to  show  your  teeth  when 
you  can't  bite.  Millions  of  my  friends  are  on  their  way  to  town  to  make  the 
poor  rejoice.  We  have  had  a  fine  seed  time,  everything  looks  promising. 
Meat  must  and  will  come  down.  The  poor  will  sing  for  joy,  and  you  may  go 
hang  yourself  in  your  garters. 


Catnach,  Printer,  2,  Monmouth  Court, 
Cards,  Bills,  &c.,  Printed  on  Low  Terms. 


THE  CATNACH  PRESS.  295 

Catnach,  to  the  day  of  his  retirement  from  business  in  1838, 
when  he  purchased  the  freehold  of  a  disused  public-house,  which 
had  been  known  as  the  Lion  Inn,  together  with  the  grounds 
attached  at  Dancer's  Hill,  South  Mimms,  near  Barnet,  in  the 
county  of  Middlesex,  worked  and  toiled  in  the  office  of  the 
"Catnach  Press,"  in  which  he  had  moved  as  the  pivot,  or 
directing  mind,  for  a  quarter  of  a  century.  He  lived  and  died 
a  bachelor.  His  only  idea  of  all  earthly  happiness  and  mental 
enjoyment  was  now  to  get  away  in  retirement  to  a  convenient 
distance  from  his  old  place  of  business,  so  to  give  him  an 
opportunity  occasionally  to  go  up  to  town  and  have  a  chat  and 
a  friendly  glass  with  one  or  two  old  paper-workers  and  ballad- 
writers,  and  a  few  others  connected  with  his  peculiar  trade  who 
had  shown  any  disposition  to  work  when  work  was  to  be  done. 
To  them  he  was  always  willing  to  give  or  advance  a  few  pence 
or  shillings,  in  money  or  stock,  and  a  glass — 

**  Affliction's  sons  are  brothers  in  distress ; 
A  brother  to  relieve,  how  exquisite  the  bliss  !  " 

But  Jemmy  knew  the  men  that  were  *'  skulkers,"  as  he  termed 
them,  and  there  was  no  coin,  stock,  or  a  glass  for  them.  He 
invariably  drank  whiskey,  a  spirit  not  in  general  demand  in 
England  in  those  days.  Gin  was  then,  as  now,  the  reigning 
favourite  with  the  street  folks.  When  the  question  was  put  to 
him  in  reference  to  his  partiality  to  whiskey,  he  always  replied — 
the  Scotch  blood  proudly  rising  in  his  veins,  and  with  a  strong 
Northumberland  burr,  which  never  wholly  forsook  him,  par- 
ticularly when  warmed  by  argument  or  drink — that,  *'He 
-disdained  to  tipple  with  '  stuff,'  by  means  of  which  all  the  women 
of  the  town  got  drunk.  I  am  of  Catnach.  Yes!  there's  Catnach 
blood  in  me.     Catnach — King  Catnach — Catnach,  King  of  the 


296  THE   HISTORY   OF 

Picts.  We  descend  in  a  right  straight  line  from  the  Picts. 
That's  the  sort  of  blood-of-blood  that  flows  in  the  veins  of  all  the 
true-bred  Catnachs."  Jemmy  would  be  for  continually  arguing 
when  in  his  cups,  and  the  old  and  the  more  artful  of  the  street- 
folk  would  let  him  have  all  the  say  and  grandeur  that  he  then 
felt  within  him  on  the  subject,  well  knowing  that  they  would  be 
much  more  likely  to  have  their  glasses  replenished  by  agreeing 
with  him  than  by  contradicting  him.  Even  in  his  sober 
moments  Jemmy  always  persisted,  right  or  wrong,  that  the 
Catnachs,  or  Catternachs,  were  descended  direct  from  a  King 
of  the  Picts.  Yet,  what  is  somewhat  anomalous,  he  was 
himself  a  rigid  churchman  and  a  staunch  old  Tory,  "  one  of  the 
olden  time,"  and  "  as  full  of  the  glorious  Constitution  as  the 
first  volume  of  Blackstone." 

On  Catnach's  retirement  from  the  business,  he  left  it  to  Mrs. 
Annie  Ryle,  his  sister,  charged,  nevertheless,  to  the  amount  of 
;^i,ooo  payable  at  his  death  to  the  estate  of  his  niece,  Marion 
Martha  Ryle.  In  the  meanwhile  Mr.  James  Paul  acted  as 
managing  man  for  Mrs.  Ryle.  This  Mr.  Paul — of  whom 
Jemmy  was  very  fond,  and  rumour  saith,  had  no  great  dislike  to 
the  mother — had  grown  from  a  boy  to  a  man  in  the  office  of  the 
"  Catnach  Press."  He  was  therefore,  well  acquainted  with  the 
customers,  by  whom  he  was  much  respected  ;  and  it  was  by  his 
tact  and  judgment  that  the  business  was  kept  so  well  together. 
He  married  a  Miss  Crisp,  the  daughter  of  a  publican  in  the 
immediate  neighbourhood. 

Catnach  did  not  long  enjoy  or  survive  his  retirement.  After 
the  novelty  of  looking,  as  the  poet  Cowper  puts  it,  and  no  doubt 
in  his  case  found  it,  "  Through  the  loop-holes  of  retreat,  to  see 
the  stir  of  the  Great  Babel,  and  not  feel  the  crowd,"  had  worn 


THE   CATNACH   PRESS.  297 

itself  out,  "  James  Catnach,  Gentleman,  formerly  of  Monmouth 
Court,  Monmouth  Street,  Printer,"  grew  dull  in  his  "  Old 
Bachelor's  Box ;"  he  was  troubled  with  hypochondriasis,  and  a 
liver  overloaded  with  bile,  and  was  further  off  than  ever  from 
being  a  happy  man.  He  had  managed  to  rake  and  scrape  to- 
gether— as  far  as  we  can  get  any  knowledge— some  ^^5,000  or 
;£"6,ooo,  although  ;^i 0,000  and  upwards  is  mostly  put  down  to 
him.  However,  he  had  grabbed  for  and  caught  a  fair  amount 
of  "  siller  and  gold,"  but  it  failed  to  realize  to  him — 

An  elegant  sufficiency,  content, 
Retirement,  rural  quiet,  friendship,  books. 
Ease  and  alternate  labour,  useful  life, 
Progressive  virtue,  and  approving  Heaven  ! 

No !  all  he  had  realized  was  that  unenviable  position  so 
popularly  known  as  of  a  man  not  knowing  what  to  do  with  him- 
self His  visits  to  town  were  now  much  more  frequent  and  of 
longer  duration,  and  for  hours  he  would  sit  and  loiter  about  the 
shops  and  houses  of  his  old  neighbours,  so  that  he  might  catch  a 
glimpse,  or  enjoy  a  friendly  chat  with  his  old  friends  and 
customers.  At  length  he  got  sick  at  heart,  ''  wearied  to  the 
bone,"  and  sighed  for  the  bustle  of  London  Life. 

From  the  following  letter  written  to  his  sister,  Mrs.  Ryle,  in 
1840,  and  now  before  us,  we  glean  something  of  his  state  of 
mind  and  bodily  health  : — 

July,  4th,  40. 
Dear  Sister, — 

I  have  been  very  ill  for  these  last  three  weeks.  I  was  obliged  to 
send  for  Dr.  Morris  to  cup  me,  which  did  some  good  for  a  few  days,  since 
then  the  pains  have  gone  into  my  breast  and  ribs,  and  for  the  last  three  days 
I  have  kept  my  bed,  and  could  take  nothing  but  a  little  tea  and  water-gruel. 
I  wish  you  to  procure  me  6  Bills  to  stick  on  my  window  shutters,  outside  and 
in,  "This  House  to  be  Let,"  and  send  them  with  ^Ib  Tea  as  soon  as  possible — 
but  do  not  send  them  by  Salmon's  Coach,  for  he  will  not  leave  them  at 

2    Q 


298 


THE   HISTORY   OF 


Jackson's  as  Wild  does,  but  sends  a  boy  with  it,  which  costs  me  double 
porterage.  I  feel  the  loss  of  my  jelly  now  I  am  so  ill,  and  can  eat  little  or 
nothing,  it  would  have  done  my  throat  good.  I  have  a  great  crop  of  black 
and  red  hemes  [currants]  if  you  choose  I  will  send  them  up,  and  you  can 
make  some  jelly  for  us  both  ;  let  me  know  as  soon  as  you  can,  say  Wednesday 
morning  and  I  will  make  the  Postwoman  call  for  the  parcel  at  Jackson's. 
I  also  wish  you  to  enquire  of  Carr  what  is  the  lowest  he  will  take  for  the 
rooms  over  Mrs.  Morgan,  by  the  §  year. 

I  have  nothing  more  to  say  but  to  be  remembered  to  Mary  and  Paul,  and 
remain 


Pray  send  a  paper  of  the  execution  of  the  Valet,  and  the  trial  of  Oxford — 
Mrs.  Westley  has  not  sent  me  i  paper  since  I  was  last  in  town — neither  has 
Thornton. 

Mrs.  Ryle, 

2  &  3,  Monmouth  Court, 

Compton  Street,  London. 

Ultimately  Catnach  hired  the  rooms  he  speaks  about  in  the 
body  of  his  letter  to  his  sister,  which  were  on  the  first  floor  of 
No.  6,  Monmouth  Court.  All  the  vacant  space  in  his  old 
premises  being  now  fully  occupied  by  Mrs.  Ryle,  and  her 
assistants,  now  "  the  humble  cottage  fenc'd  with  osiers  round," 
which  to  his  leisure  afforded  no  pleasure,  was  entirely  deserted, 
and  in  London  he  fretted  out  the  remaining  portion  of  his  Hfe. 
He  soon  grew  peevish,  and  his  brain  got  a  little  out  of  balance, 
then  he  listlessly  wandered  in  and  out  of  the  streets,  courts,  and 
alleys,  ''  infirm  of  purpose."  On  stormy  days  and  nights  to  stand 
and  view  the  lightning  from  Waterloo  Bridge  was  his  special 
delight,  and  wonder.     His  temper  and  liver  were  now  continually 


THE  CATNACH    PRESS.  299 

out  of  order,  and  which  whiskey,  even  "  potations  pottle  deep," 
failed  to  relieve.  At  length  he  died  of  jaundice,  in  the  very 
London  court  in  which  he  had  muck'd  and  grubbed  for  the  best 
part  of  his  life,  on  the  first  day  of  February,  1841.  Like  other 
great  men  of  history  he  has  several  locales  mentioned  as  his^ 
final  resting-place — Hornsey,  Bamet,  South  Mimms,  &c. 

Urbes^  ccrtarunt  septetn  dc  pair  la  Homer  i, 
Nulla  domus  vivo  patriafuit. 

Seven  cities  strove  whence  Homer  first  should  come, 

When  living,  he  no  country  had  nor  home  : — Tom  Nash^  1599- 

Seven  Grecian  cities  vied  for  Homer  dead. 
Through  which  the  living  Homer  begged  his  bread. 

Seven  cities  vied  for  Homer's  birth,  with  emulation  pious, — 
Salamis,   Samos,    Colophon,    Rhodes,   Argos,    Athens,    Chios. 

— From  the  Greek, 

But  Catnach  lies  buried  in  Highgate  Cemetery,  in  one  of  the 
two  plots  that  Mrs.  Ryle  purchased  sometime  previous  to  her 
brother's  death.  The  official  number  of  the  grave  is  256,  Square 
29,  over  which  is  placed  a  flat  stone,  inscribed  : — 

liV  MEMORy  OF 

JAMES    CATNACH, 

Of  Dancci^s  Hill. 

DIED    1ST    FEBRUARY,    1841, 
Aged  49. 


ANNE    RYLE, 

Sister  to   the  above,  and  widow  of  Joseph  Ryle,  who  died  ii> 

India,   loth  October,   1823.     She  died  20th  April,   1870, 

Aged  75. 

Blessed  are  the  dead  which  die  in  the  Lord. 

2  Q  2 


^OO  THE   HISTORY   OF 

The  freehold  in  the  other  p]ot  of  ground,  after  Catnach's  death, 
was  transferred  to  Mr.  Robert  Palmer  Harding,  the  accountant 
of  London,  who  married  Catnach's  niece.  The  stone  records  the 
death  of  Elizabeth  Cornelia,  third  daughter  of  Robert 
Palmer  Harding  and  Marion  Martha  Harding,  born  9  June,  T848, 
died  8  of  November,  1848;  and  Greville,  second  son  of  the 
above,  born  29  May,  1856,  died  3  September,  1856.  This  grave 
is  now  numbered  5179.  We  have  been  thus  minute  in  respect 
to  Catnach's  grave,  from  the  circumstance  of  our  having  received 
so  many  contradictory  statements  as  to  its  whereabouts.  But 
however,  we  have  removed  all  doubt  from  our  mind  by  a  personal 
visit  to  the  Highgate  Cemetery  where  under  the  guidance  of  the 
very  civil  and  obliging  superintendent  of  the  grounds,  Mr.  W. 
F.  Tabois,  we  were  conducted  to  the  spot  we  required,  then 
introduced  to  Mr.  Marks,  the  sexton,  "  here  man  and  boy  thirty 
years,"  and  whom  we  found  very  intelligent  and  communicative 
on  various  subjects — 

"  From  grave  to  gay,  from  lively  to  severe." 

After  Catnach's  death,  Mr.  James  Paul  entered  into  partner- 
ship with  Mrs.  Ryle,  and  then  the  business  was  carried  on  under 
the  title  and  style  of  A.  Ryle  and  Paul.  In  1845  the  partnership 
was  dissolved,  Mr.  Paul  receiving  ;£"8oo  in  settlement.  He 
then  entered  into  the  public  line  taking  the  Spencer's  Arms,  at 
the  corner  of  the  Monmouth  Court.  A  son  that  was  born  to 
him  in  1847,  ^^  ^^.d  christened  James  Catnach  Paul.  He  died 
in  the  year  1870,  just  six  weeks  after  Mrs.  Ryle,  and  lies  buried 
in  the  next  grave  but  one  to  Catnach  and  his  sister. 

After  Mr.  Paul  had  left  the  business  it  was  carried  on  as  Ryle 
&  Co.,  and  ultimately  became  the  property  of  Mr.  W.  S. 
Fortey,  who  still  carries  on  the  old  business  in  the  same  quarter. 


THE  CATNACH  PRESS.  301 

For  the  purpose  of  clearing  up,  if  possible,  some  contradictory- 
statements,  a  few  years  ago  we  made  personal  search  through 
the  musty-fusty  red-tapeism  of  Doctor's  Commons  for  the 
Will  and  Testament — or  "Last  Dying  Speech"  of  "James 
Catnach,  of  Dancer's  Hill,  South  Mimms,  in  the  county  of 
Middlesex,  Gentleman,  formerly  of  Monmouth  Court,  Monmouth 
Street,  Printer,"  an  office  copy  of  which,  together  with  Probate 
and  Administration  Act,  we  give  below,  by  which  it  will  be  seen 
that  the  Personal  Effects  are  sworn  to  as  under  three  hundred 
pounds.  But  this  gives  us  no  idea  of  the  value  of  his  "  Freehold, 
Copyhold,  or  Leasehold  Estate "  mentioned  in  the  body  of 
the  Will. 

"  Extracted  from  the  principal  Registry 
of  Her  Majesty's  Court  of  Probate. 

**  In  the  Prerogative  Court  of  Canterbury — 

'*This  is  thje  last  Will  and  T^stamjent  of  me 

JAMES  CATNACH  of  Dancers  Hill,  South  Mimms  in  the 
County  of  Middlesex  Gentleman  formerly  of  Monmouth  Court 
Monmouth  Street  Printer  I  direct  that  my  just  debts  funeral  and 
testamentary  expences  be  paid  as  soon  as  conveniently  may 
be  after  my  decease  and  subject  thereto  I  give  devise  and 
bequeath  all  my  real  and  personal  Estate  whatever  and  where- 
soever and  of  what  nature  or  kind  soever  to  my  Sister  Anne  the 
Widow  of  Joseph  Ryle  now  residing  in  Monmouth  Court  afore- 
said her  heirs  executors  and  administrators  according  to  tlie 
nature  and  qualities  thereof  respectively  In  trust  nevertheless 
for  her  Daughter  Marion  Martha  Ryle  her  heirs  executors 
administrators  and  assigns  respectively  when  she  shall  attain  the 


302  THE  HISTORY  OF 

age  of  twenty  one  years  absolutely  with  power  in  the  meantime 
to  apply  the  rents  interest  dividends  or  proceeds  thereof  for  and 
towards  the  maintenance  education  and  advancement  of  the  said 
Marion  Martha  Ryle  and  notwithstanding  the  private  means  of 
my  said  Sister  may  be  adequate  to  such  purpose  but  if  the  said 
Marion  Martha  Ryle  shall  depart  this  life  before  she  shall  attain 
the  age  of  twenty  one  years  then  I  give  devise  and  bequeath  all 
my  said  real  and  personal  Estate  to  my  said  Sister  her  heirs, 
executors  administrators  and  assigns  absolutely  I  hereby  direct 
that  during  the  minority  of  the  said  Marion  Martha  Ryle  it  shall 
be  lawful  for  the  said  Anne  Ryle  her  heirs  executors  adminis- 
trators to  demise  or  lease  all  or  any  part  of  my  freehold  copy- 
hold or  leasehold  Estate  for  any  term  consistent  with  the  tenure 
thereof  not  exceeding  twenty  one  years  so  that  on  every  such 
demise  the  best  yearly  rent  be  reserved  that  can  be  obtained  for 
the  property  which  shall  be  therein  comprised  without  taking  any 
fine  or  premium  and  so  that  the  tenant  or  lessee  be  not  made 
dispunishable  for  waste  I  hereby  nominate  constitute  and  appoint 
my  said  Sister  sole  Executrix  of  this  my  Will  and  hereby 
revoking  all  former  and  other  Wills  by  me  at  any  time  heretofore 
made  I  declare  this  to  be  my  last  Will  and  Testament  In 
witness  whereof  I  have  hereunto  set  my  hand  the  twenty  second 
day  of  January  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  thirty  nine — 
JAMES  CATNACH— Signed  and  acknowledged  by  the  ubove 
named  James  Catnach  as  and  for  his  last  Will  and  Testament 
in  the  presence  of  us  present  at  the  same  time  who  in  his 
presence  and  the  presence  of  each  other  have  hereunto  set  our 
names  as  Witnesses— William  Kinsey  13  Suffolk  St.  Pall  Mall 
Solr.— Wra.  Tookey  his  Clerk." 


the  catnach  press.  303 

[The  Probate  and  Administration  Act.] 

"  Extracted  from  the  principal  Registry 
of  Her  Majesty's  Court  of  Probate. 

■**  In  the  Prerogative  Court  of  Canterbury — 

April,  1842. 

"JAMES  CATNACH  — On  the  second  day  of  April 
administration  (with  the  Will  annexed)  of  the  Goods  Chattels 
and  Credits  of  James  Catnach  formerly  of  Monmouth  Court 
Monmouth  Street  Printer  but  late  of  Dancers  Hill  South  Mimms 
both  in  the  county  of  Middlesex  Gentleman  deceased  was 
granted  to  William  Kinsey  Esquire  the  Curator  or  Guardian 
lawfully  assigned  to  Marion  Martha  Ryle  Spinster  a  Minor  the 
Niece  and  usufructuary  Universal  Legate  until  she  shall  attain 
the  age  of  twenty  one  years  and  the  absolute  Universal  Legatee 
on  attaining  that  age  named  in  the  said  Will  for  the  use  and 
benefit  of  the  said  minor  and  until  she  shall  attain  the  age  of 
twenty  one  years  have  been  first  sworn  duly  to  administer  Anne 
Ryle  Widow  the  Sister  sole  Executrix  Universal  Legatee  In 
trust  and  the  contingent  universal  Legatee  named  in  the  said 
Will  and  also  the  natural  and  lawful  Mother  and  next  of  kin  of 
the  said  minor  having  first  renounced  the  probate  and  execution 
of  the  said  Will  and  the  Letters  of  administration  (with  the  said 
Will  annexed)  of  the  goods  of  the  said  deceased  and  also  the 
Curation  or  Guardianship  of  the  said  Minor  and  consented  (as 
l3y  Acts  of  Court  appear^  — 

EFFECTS  UNDER  THREE  HUNDRED  POUNDS. 


304 

It  is  gratifying  to  be  able  to  record  that  what  the  late  Mr. 
Catnach  was  to  the  masses  in  the  way  of  news  provider  some 
fifty  years  ago,  the  penny  papers  are  now,  with  this  exception, 
that  the  former  tended  to  lower  and  degrade  their  pursuit  after 
knowledge,  the  latter,  on  the  contrary,  improve  and  elevate  them 
while  they  amuse  and  instruct  all  who  peruse  their  contents. 
With  the  march  of  intellect,  and  the  thirst  for  knowledge  blended 
with  the  desire  for  truth,  out  went,  to  a  great  extent,  the  penny 
broad-sheet.  Several  persons  made  the  attempt  to  revive  it  long 
after  the  death  of  the  great  original  Jemmy  Catnach,  but  without 
success. 


3o6 


INDEX. 


Page. 

Adelaide,  Queen 89 

A  Funny  Dialogue 294 

Alnwick— The  Borough  of. i 

St.  Michael's  Church      2 

Parish  Register 2 

Catnach's  shop  in  ...  3 

Register  of  Death...  3 

.    Printing  Press  in   ...  4 

The  Catnach  Press  4 

The  Castle 6 

The  Abbey 6 

Davison's  business  9 

Election  at 74 

Attack  on  William  IV 88 

Ballads;— Banks  of  the  Nile...  239 

„       Crazy  Jane 240 

,,       Death  of  Nelson   236 

,»      Drink  to  me  eyes 228 

,,      Gallant  Sailor    224 

„       Meet  meWillowGlen...  227 

„       Mistletoe  Bough    229 

,,       Mountain  Maid 226 

?    „       O  Rare  Turpin 225 

,,       Rose  will  cease  to  blow  230 

,,       Scarlet  Flower  237 

„       Sun  that  lights  Roses    233 

„      The  Thorn 238 

„       True  Hearted  Sailor...  231 
„       "When  Bibo  though  fit  232 

„       Woodpecker,  The 234 

„       Ye  Topers  all    235 

Benton,   Mrs.    nee    Elizabeth 

Catnach    38 

Bewick,  T.,  wood-engraver   ...     14 

Bewick  Collector,  The   1 6 

Bewick  : — See  Books 

Bewicks  Illustrations — See  Books. 

Bishop  and  Williams 84 

Black  Sal  and  Dusty  Bob 45 

Books  printed  by  John  Catnach  : — 
,,     Beauties  ofNaturalHistory     4 

,,     Chevy  Chase 34 

,,     Cock  Robin   8 


Page. 

Books  printed  by  John  Catnach : — 

„     Dr.  Johnson's  Works  .,     34 

,,     Hermit  of  Warkworth...       5 

,,     Life  of  Thompson .  34 

„     Stockdale's  Poems    4 

By  Catnach  and  Davison  ; — 

,,     Beattie's  Minstrel 9 

,,     Blair'sGrave 9 

,,     Bum's  Poems 13 

„     Gray's  Elegy 9 

By  Davison  : — 

,,     Crazy  Jane 12 

,,     P'erguson's  Poems 14 

„     Guess  Book,  The 17,  32 

,,     Halfpenny  Books 16 

,,     NorthumberlandMinstrel     15 

,,     Repository,  The    Ii 

Illustrated  by  Bewick. 

,,     Beauties  ofNaturalHistory     4 

,,     Burn's  Poems    13 

,,     Blair's  Grave g 

,,     Hermit  of  Warkworth...       5 

„     Respository,  The  11 

,,     Stockdale's  Poems    4 

Brown,  Mrs.,  murdered  91 

Brunswick  Theatre,  The 77 

Burkers.The 84 

Burnie,  Sir  Richard 43 

Burradon  Ghost,  The 4 

Caroline,  Queen,  The  trial  of..     46 

Verses  on   47,  48,  50 

Death  of. 49,  51 

Cato  Street  Conspiracy,  The  45,  46 
Catchpennies  :--Apparitin,  The  261 

,,     Burning  Shame 281 

„     Cruel  Murder 264 

„     Execution  of  Ward  273 

,,     Extraordinary  Marriage     285 

,,     Horrid  Murder 267 

„     Liverpool  Tragedy    270 

,,     Murder  by  a  Soldier 269 

„     Murder  of  Capt.  Lawson  264 
,,     Murder  of  Two  Lovers...  291 


INDEX, 


307 


Page.  * 
Catchpennies  : — 

„     Secrets  Revealed  269 

„     Scarborough  Tragedy  ...  265 

„     Shocking  News 289 

,,     Shocking  Rape 291 

Catnach,  John — the  father,bom      1 

,,     Married  2 

,,     At  Alnwick 3,  4,  5,  8 

,,    At  Newcastle 33 

,,     A  Bankrupt  35 

,,     In  London 35,  36 

„     Death  of. 37 

Catnach,  James,  born  1792    ...       2 

,,     His  early  life 38 

„     Arrives  in  London 40 

,,    Imprisoned  for  6  months.     43 

,,     Queen  Caroline 47 

,,     Verses  on  Caroline   48 

,,     Life  in  London 57>  63 

„     At  Alnwiek  75,  76 

,,     And  Mother  Cummins  ...     81 

,,     His  education 94 

„     Nursery  books   .  94 

,,     Christmas  Carols 242 

,,     His  Woodcuts 257 

,,     Dying  Speeches 258 

,,     His  Retirement 295 

,,     At  Dancer's  Hill  296 

,,     Letter  to  his  sister 297 

,,     Return  to  London 298 

,,     Deathof 299 

,,    Will  of  the 301 

Charlotte,  The  Princess  of 42 

„  „         „     Deathof    43 

Christmas  Carols ...    241  to  255 

Collins,  Dennis 88 

Copy  of  Affectionate  Verses  ...     65 
66,  67,  68,  80,  292 

Clennell,  Luke 4 

Corder,  Wm.,  The  murderer  ...     79 
,,  ,,        Execution  of  ...     80 

Cruikshank,  George    54 

Cruikshank,  Robert 55 

Cubitt's  Treadmill  64 

Cummins  "Mother"  81 

and  Catnach 81-2-3 

Davison  of  Alnwick  :— 


Page. 

Davison  and  Catnach i 

,,         Partnership     9-11 

,,         His  chemistry 9 

,,        Death  of  15 

Dennis  Collins 88 

Earl  Grey 87 

Executions- Public  of  :— 

Bishop  and  Williams  85 

Courvoisier   92 

Corder  92 

Fauntl  eroy ,  Mr.  H . ,  banker  73 

Five  Pirates,  The 92 

Greenacre 92 

Muller   92 

Mannings 92 

Pegsworth   91 

Thurtell    72 

False  News,  circulating  of. 14 

Flying  Stationer,  The 66 

Fortey,  Mr 242-300 

George  the  III,  death  of  45 

George  the  IV 45 

Goldie,  Mr.,  of  Alnwick 94 

Graham,  printer,  Alnwick 39 

Greenacre  and  Gale 91 

Gurney,  Mr.  Baron 89 

Haines,  Mrs.  nee  Mary  Catnach  38 

"Hanging  Matches" 65, 

Hugo,  Rev.  Thomas   13,  15 

,,      his  Bewick  collector... 1 6,  39 

Jane  Williams  292 

Juvenile  Books : — 

A  Apple  Pie 177 

Butterfly's  Ball 163 

Cinderella.. 203 

Cock  Robin  199 

Easter  Gift,  The  171 

Golden  Pippin,  The 113 

Good  Child's  Alphabet  ...  207 

Guess  Book,  The 17 

Jack  Jingle    197 

Jerry  Diddle 129 

Jumping  Joan  145 


3o8 


INDEX. 


Page. 
Juvenile  Books : — 

Mother  Hubbard 187 

New  Year's  Gift  205 

Nurse  Love-child's 97 

Nursery  Rhymes 193 

Red  Riding  Hood    201 

Simple  Simon  195 

Kent,  Duke  of,  his  death    45 

Life  in  London,  by  Pierce  Egan    52 

on  the  Stage 54 

Catnach's  version  57,  63 
Thackeray  on 64 

Likeness  of  the  Murderer  69 

,,         ,,  William  Corder  ...     79 

Lindsay,  Printer,  &c 4 

Long,  Song  Seller,  The 221 

Marten,  Maria,  Murder  of 78 

,,  „     Verses  on  80 

Mayhew's  "  London  Labour  "  69,  92 
Morgan,  John,  Poet!  ...  43,  47,  82 

Paul,  Mr 296,  300 

Pitts,  John    40 

„     Old  Mother    41 

Pizzey,  Sausage  Maker,  The  43,  44 
Pocock,  Mr.  C.  J.  of  Brighton     57 

Red  Barn,  The 78 

Reform  Bill,  The 87 


Page. 

Ryle,  Mrs.  Anne 296,  297 

„     death  of  299 

,,     Marion  Martha    296 

Sarah  Gale    91 

Seven  Dials,  The  Bards  of  ...40,  41 

,,         ,,       The  Trade  in 42 

„  „  and  Queen  Caroline  47 
Shocking  Rape  and  Murder  ...  291 
Smith,  Mark,  of  Alnwick : — 

„     Apprenticed  to  Catnach         9 

,,    in  London 35 

,,     in  Alnwick 74 

„     hisautograph 39 

„     thedeathof 74 

Songs,  3  yards-a-penny 222 

Thistlewood,  The  Conspirator  46 

Thompson,  John,  Life  of  34 

Thurtell,  and  Weare  70 

„       Execution  of 72 

Tom  and  Jerry    53,  55 

,,      the  Tears  of 55 

Treadmill,  The 64 

Vestris,  Madame 89 

Vint,  John,  Printer,  &c 4 

Walker,  Mr.,  Paternoster  Row  35 

Weare,  Mr.,  Murder  of  70 

William  the  IV 88 

Willougby  family  Alnwick 36 


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